Our Clinical Negligence team have successfully secured compensation for our client who suffered a Galeazzi fracture of his right forearm.
Background
Our client sustained a serious injury to his dominant right arm during an incident in which he was forcefully pushed, causing another individual to fall onto him. He immediately experienced severe pain and heard a loud snapping sound, consistent with the significant injury he had suffered.
The Claim
Our client attended A&E in the early hours of 21 December 2023, where X-rays confirmed that he had sustained a Galeazzi fracture of his right forearm. He was admitted to hospital and underwent surgery the following day to repair the fracture with a metal plate.
Following the operation, our client was discharged home in a full arm cast and believed his recovery was progressing as expected.
At a routine follow-up appointment on 2 January 2024, he underwent further X-rays and was initially reassured by the treating consultant that the fracture was healing well. However, just a few hours later, he received an urgent telephone call asking him to return to hospital immediately.
When he returned, a different Consultant explained that the metal plate inserted during the original surgery had been positioned incorrectly. He was told that the fracture would not heal properly in its current position and, if left untreated, his forearm would heal at an abnormal angle, leaving it permanently bent.
Our client was given the choice of accepting the deformity or undergoing further surgery to remove the incorrectly positioned plate and replace it with one inserted correctly. He chose to proceed with revision surgery, which took place two days later.
Unfortunately, the second operation resulted in a far more painful recovery than the first. He required significantly more pain relief, remained in a cast for several more weeks and later developed noticeable muscle wasting in his forearm. Once the cast and K-wire were removed, he required physiotherapy to regain movement and strength in his arm and wrist.
Although our client was able to return to work on light duties shortly after the revision surgery, it was not until April 2024 that he was able to resume his full role. Whilst his range of movement has improved considerably, he continues to experience intermittent pain in his wrist, particularly when lifting heavy objects.
Following the discovery that the original operation had been performed incorrectly, our client instructed us to investigate a claim for clinical negligence.
We pursued a claim on the basis that the metal plate had been negligently positioned during the initial operation, resulting in our client undergoing an entirely avoidable second procedure. The unnecessary surgery caused additional pain, prolonged his recovery, delayed his rehabilitation and exposed him to the risks associated with undergoing a further operation and anaesthetic.
Outcome
During the course of the claim, the Defendant admitted that there had been a breach of duty in the care provided to our client. It was accepted that, during the initial operation to reduce the fracture, a straight metal plate should have been used. The failure to use the appropriate plate resulted in the fixation plate being positioned incorrectly.
The Defendant further admitted that, as a result of this breach of duty, our client was required to undergo an additional revision surgery which would not otherwise have been necessary. It was also accepted that our client experienced an additional 13 days of pain and suffering that he would not have endured had the breach of duty not occurred.
Following these admissions, the claim was successfully settled, securing compensation for the additional pain, suffering and losses our client experienced as a result of the negligent treatment.
If you have suffered avoidable injury or complications because of negligent medical treatment, our specialist Clinical Negligence team may be able to help. Contact Oliver & Co Solicitors for a free, no-obligation discussion about your potential claim. You can call us on 01244 312306, email us at law@oliverandco.co.uk or complete our Contact Form and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.
