Kiera Shoemake takes a look at claiming compensation for failure to diagnose a scapular injury.
Scapular injuries are notorious for being one of the most difficult injuries to spot on radiographs due to the bodily structures that obstruct its view. While patients with scapular fractures make up less than 1% of all fracture injuries, diagnosis of it is crucial as failure to do so can have devastating effects. Therefore, it is important for medical professionals to be thorough when diagnosing such a complex injury.
A scapular injury may not be diagnosed for many reasons. The most common reason is obstruction by other bodily structures on an x-ray which the clinician then fails to take into account. Another reason scapular injuries can go undiagnosed is the inexperience of junior doctors failing to consult a senior colleague. These are both avoidable scenarios Unfortunately, failing to diagnose a scapular injury occurs far too often and can have life-long effects for the patient.
Failure to diagnose a scapular injury can result in a patient not receiving treatment in time and suffering unnecessarily. It can also lead to the bone healing incorrectly, which itself is difficult to treat once the bone has fused. Delayed or misdiagnosis of scapular injuries can then cause patients to suffer from long-term chronic pain, or the function of their shoulder girdle can be inhibited, affecting them for the rest of their lives.
If treated correctly, and with use of rehabilitative physiotherapy, patients with scapular injuries can heal fully and patients can resume day-to-day activities in as little as 6 weeks.
If a medical professional overlooks this type of injury, the patient may be able to bring a compensation claim for failure to diagnose a scapular injury.
Our Legal 500 recommended lawyers deal with medical negligence claims nationwide on a No Win, No Fee basis. To find out where you stand just contact our free helpline for a review of your case.