Missed Fracture Claims

Did Your Doctor Miss Your Fracture?

Fractures can be difficult to diagnose or can be missed at first instance, which may lead to a delay in you receiving the necessary treatment.

This, in turn, can lead to you requiring more invasive treatment that would otherwise have been necessary. You may even be left with permanent damage, which could have been avoided had the fracture been diagnosed and treated correctly from the outset. It is also likely that it will take you longer to recover, meaning that you suffered from more pain than necessary.

If you have suffered any fractures which were not diagnosed correctly from the outset, then you may have a claim for clinical negligence and our specialist team of Solicitors will be able to assist you with a claim.

Missed Fracture Case Studies

• Our client injured his hand whilst abroad and on his return from holiday, attended A & E. He was x-rayed and told that he had only suffered a sprain.  Our client was recalled back to the Accident & Emergency Department of the hospital two weeks later when he was informed that the original x-ray had been reviewed and did, in fact, show that our client had broken his wrist. Our client was treated by way of a plaster cast and a follow-up appointment was arranged. It this follow-up appointment, our client was informed that not only had he broken his wrist, the ligaments had also been damaged and this had caused the bones to be displaced. Unfortunately, surgery and treatment was unsuccessful and our client underwent a wrist fusion operation the following year.  Despite the defendants maintaining a denial of liability, our client has recovered the sum of £35,000 by way of compensation.

 

• Our client injured his foot after a fall. His foot was very swollen, he was in pain and was unable to weight bear. He attended A&E and underwent an X-ray. He was told that he just had a bad sprain and was told to go home, rest, put ice on his foot and weight bear. After a week of worsening symptoms, he re-attended the hospital. A second X-ray was carried out and he was advised that again, it was just a bad sprain. Over a month later, our client received a telephone call from the hospital asking for him to re-attend. He underwent a third X-ray which showed that he had a bad fracture on his foot. The fracture had started to heal, and so surgery was not recommended. However, if he had had surgery straight away, he would have likely had a better outcome. Our client therefore had a longer recovery, and still experiences pain as a result of this and walks with a limp. The Defendant Hospital admitted liability for what happened, and our client recovered £10,000 by way of compensation

 

• Our client fell at home and landed on her right shoulder. An ambulance was called for and two ambulance staff arrived. They examined our client and concluded that she had simply badly bruised her arm and did not need to go to a hospital. She was not taken to a hospital or told to visit her GP.  Two months later, she was found to have suffered a dislocation and a fracture to her right arm during her fall but was told that it was too late for surgery. Our client suffered pain in her right arm when she was trying to use it prior to the diagnosis as she was not aware that she had dislocated and fractured it. Our client had to move into sheltered accommodation as she was unable to care for herself. She was successful in her claim and received £3,000 compensation.

 

• Our client was walking in her house when she heard a loud crack in her left leg, immediately felt pain and was not able to put any weight on her leg. The pain was so excruciating that she required paramedics to carry her down the stairs and was taken to A&E. Once at the hospital, our client was examined but not given an x-ray as the doctor believed that she had ligament damage. Our client was therefore discharged home.  After a few weeks, the pain in our client’s leg continued and so our client contacted her consultant orthopaedic (who was providing care for her other leg). He arranged for an x-ray to take place which showed that the ankle had been fractured in 3 places. Our client required an operation to have a plate inserted to support the bones in her ankle.  Our client received £1,750 compensation for the pain and suffering she experienced as a result of the delay in diagnosing her injuries.

 

• Our client was an 85 year old lady who was suffering with dementia. She suffered a fall at home and was taken to her local hospital where she underwent an x-ray of her hip, which did not show any fractures. Over the subsequent 2 weeks, our Client was made to move and undergo physiotherapy treatment, which caused her to scream in agony. Our Client was in such significant pain that she told her family that she just wanted to die. 2 weeks later, the Defendant carried out a second x-ray, which revealed a fractured neck of femur. She underwent hip surgery within 48 hours but sadly, she could no longer return home as the memory of the pain was too significant for her and she refused to mobilise. She was therefore transferred to a Nursing Home for the remainder of her life. The Claimant’s estate recovered the sum of £33,500 in compensation.

Do you have a potential missed fracture claim?

Please contact us for advice if you feel you have suffered any form of negligent medical/dental treatment. We have a specialist team of medical negligence solicitors who are always happy to help.

If you would like advice on whether you have a potential clinical negligence claim or assistance with drafting a letter of complaint, please contact us on the number below. Please note that there are legal time limits in place for starting a claim for compensation, and our specialist clinical negligence solicitors will be able to advise you specifically on the facts of your own case.