We are experienced in dealing with delay in diagnosis compensation claims and can work on a no win, no fee basis. Just call our free national helpline on 0333 888 0412 or email us for a free case assessment.
Mrs L, who is from Devon, went to the accident and emergency department of her local hospital with crippling back pain. The junior doctor who saw her in A&E was worried that she was showing signs of cauda equina, a very serious medical condition involving pressure on the spinal cord which can lead to paralysis if not quickly treated. Despite that concern, a more senior member of the team decided Mrs L should be sent home with painkillers and without any further investigation or scans. It transpired that she did indeed have cauda equina as the junior doctor had suggested. Unfortunately the delay in diagnosis resulted in precious time being lost and Mrs L was sadly left permanently disabled and in constant pain, despite extensive surgery to her spine.
Mrs L consulted our medical negligence team and we agreed to make a delay in diagnosis compensation claim against the hospital, working on a no win, no fee basis.
The delay in diagnosis medical negligence claim was successful. The hospital admitted there had been an inexcusable delay in diagnosing cauda equina, but argued that even if the condition had been diagnosed earlier the end result may have been exactly the same. However, we were able to counter the hospital’s case with expert medical evidence confirming just how important early diagnosis is in cauda equina cases.
Extensive negotiations took place and we were eventually able to reach an out of court compensation settlement in which Mrs L received over £400,000.
The legal costs of Mrs L’s delay in diagnosis claim were also paid by the hospital.
Once the claim had concluded we helped to set up a trust fund to ensure that Mrs L’s compensation money was properly protected and invested safely for her future needs.