Delayed diagnosis of foot fracture left permanent damage
David suffered a fall from a ladder in 2010, fracturing and dislocating his foot. Despite visiting the accident & emergency department several times, as well as further referrals to a physiotherapist and orthopaedic surgeon, David’s fracture was not identified until permanent damage had been done.
Having had a significant period off work, David was in constant pain and only able to return under restricted duties. He approached Medical Accident’s orthopaedic negligence claims specialists for help, and they were able to help him to rebuild his life.
Diagnostic failures left David unable to work
Following his fall, David visited the accident & emergency department. He explained what had happened and an x-ray was taken and assessed by a doctor. Although in pain, and with much swelling, he was advised that he had suffered no fractures and was provided with crutches. It was eventually reported by a separate doctor that David had ‘no obvious fracture’ on his x-ray. He had, in fact, suffered a fracture and a dislocation to his foot.
David was unable to work and could barely place any weight on his right foot. After a few days he attended the accident & emergency department again, only to be told, by the original consulting doctor, that it was just a soft tissue injury. He was told to return to work as soon as possible and to manage his significant pain with painkillers. Sadly, this only served to worsen the injuries he had suffered.
One month later, David visited a physiotherapist and was referred to a hospital for new x-rays to be taken. Once again, the doctor again did not recognise the fracture. This time, however, he was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon, who immediately noticed two fractures and dislocation.
Almost two months after the accident, the surgeon noted that, had David been treated properly at the first instance, he could have undergone a procedure to correct the injury. Unfortunately, by this point (and as a result of the negligence of doctors) David’s injuries had become so severe he had permanent damage.
He required a bone graft and several fusions of the small bones, including a plate and three screws being inserted into his ankle. He was in constant pain and still far from a full recovery. He had had to go back to work under restricted duties.
When he came to Medical Accident Group, he needed our help to get his life back on track. We provided him with the initial advice he needed, free of charge, so he could decide what was the best course of action. Throughout the case, we supported him with home visits from medical experts, to check on any needs he might have and to assess his injury in greater detail.
Following the case, David said: “Settling this case has given me closure on what was a really traumatic experience. It blighted my life for more than three years and affected my ability to work. The compensation has helped my financial situation and meant that I’ve been able to buy specialist shoes and boots for work, so my weight can be transferred across to my left foot, without loss of normal movement.
“The service Medical Accident Group provided went far further than just legal services. They helped me rebuild my life.”
If you have suffered from medical negligence as a result of orthopaedic negligence our experts can help you with your claim – call us on 0800 050 1668 or fill in the form below.
