Medical negligence cases address very sensitive and complex issues. Most clients want a full investigation of events, answers to their many questions and an explanation of why things happened as they did.
The cases summarised below illustrate some of the cases and situations in which Attwaters’ Medical Negligence team has achieved some degree of justice for clients, often in distressing circumstances.
Patient receives compensation after multiple medication mistakes
A patient has been awarded £7,500 in compensation after repeated prescribing errors exacerbated existing psychological conditions, resulting in heightened anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The patient, who has a history of borderline personality disorder and Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), pursued a medical negligence claim against the Learning Assessment & Neurocare Centre (LANCuk) with help from Attwaters. Learn more
Patient’s death from sepsis leads to £10,000 payout
Multiple NHS trusts have agreed to pay £10,000 in personal injury damages after an elderly patient died from sepsis after developing pressure ulcers while in hospital.
Attwaters helped the family of the woman bring a clinical negligence case, which was settled jointly by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, and Barking, Havering and Redbridge university Hospitals NHS Trust.
The patient, who suffered from diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, was admitted to hospital after a fall, which resulted in two leg bone fractures. Following multiple surgeries, it’s alleged Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust failed to manage the woman’s risk of pressure ulcers developing, or deteriorating, while in its care.
Despite a consultant raising concerns about wound healing and necrotic skin, the patient was discharged home with a care package. The following day, the woman had another fall and was readmitted to hospital with sepsis, where she subsequently died.
Patient’s death after delayed cancer diagnosis results in £125,000 settlement
A woman’s life was cut short by an estimated 14 years after an NHS Trust failed to diagnose lung cancer. By the time the tumour was identified, the disease had already spread, meaning the only option for treatment was palliative chemotherapy. The patient died in 2018.
Attwaters supported the family in bringing a medical negligence case against the Trust, which resulted in a damages payout worth £125,000. A cancer expert stated that the woman could have been cured of cancer and potentially lived until 2032 if an abnormal scan result in 2014 had been interpreted and followed up correctly by the Trust.
NHS hospital pays £20,000 to a daughter for her late mother’s preventable fall
Our Medical Negligence team secured £20,000 in damages for our client whose late mother had an unwitnessed fall in hospital, even though she was supposed to be supervised at all times. The patient sadly died two months later. Read more
GP pays £2,000 to compensate for prescription overdose
We successfully settled a clinical negligence claim on behalf of a patient who was prescribed the incorrect dosage of medication. The GP paid £2,000 to compensate for the prescription overdose. Read more
Hospital pays compensation for series of failures which led to patient death
A hospital has paid £8,500 to a family for a series of failures which led to the death of a patient. We found that, if it wasn’t for an unwitnessed fall, our client’s late father would not have suffered brain bleeds and subsequently passed away. Read more
Patient awarded £25,000 for inadequate surgery which led to finger amputation
A patient has been awarded £25,000 for inadequate surgery which led to finger amputation. An investigation found that the wound dressing applied after the surgery did not allow room for post-operative swelling, thus compromising the vascular supply to the finger. Read more
Death of mental health patient results in £50,000 payout
A private mental health hospital has paid £50,000 in damages to the family of a 28-year-old man who died while under its care. Attwaters helped the man’s mother build a medical negligence case against Cygnet Hospital Taunton by identifying a number of alleged breaches of duty. The patient, who had a long history of paranoid schizophrenia, jumped from a motorway bridge after being allowed to leave the hospital to go to the shops. Read more
Inquest concludes multiple failings and neglect contributed to death of a patient under section
Mirren Gidda was instructed by Goksel Karova of Attwater Jameson Hill solicitors to represent the family of Margaret Mary Picton, known as Rita, who, in the early hours of 10 September 2022, was taken to Leigh Moss Hospital in Liverpool under section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Rita displayed escalating behaviours throughout that day, culminating in several instances of her attempting to eat paper in full view of staff. Rita ultimately choked on the paper and later died in hospital. Read more
15-year legal battle secures £4 million settlement for brain damaged teen
A 16-year-old girl who suffered severely impaired hearing and brain damage after developing pneumococcal meningitis, when just 13-months-old, has been awarded £4 million in damages. Read more
Failings in care during labour
An 11-year-old girl who was left with dyskinetic cerebral palsy after suffering serious brain injury at birth has been awarded more than £14 million in damages. The girl, who cannot be named but is referred to as MXX in legal documents, suffered the injuries as a result of failings in care during her birth at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in May 2007.
At the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 29 January 2019, Her Honour Judge Walden-Smith approved a settlement of £14.4 million. This encompasses a lump sum payment of £4.4 million plus annual payments to cover the cost of care, support, specialist therapies and accommodation throughout MXX’s lifetime. Read more
Birth injury to mother
We recently achieved a six figure settlement for a mother who was negligently injured during child birth. She suffered from pudendal neuropathy causing bowel and bladder incontinence
Delayed cancer diagnosis
We recently secured significant damages for a patient who was referred to hospital by their GP in relation to throat problems, but the hospital team failed to identify the client was suffering from extensive high-grade non-Hodgkins lymphoma. This caused a delay of several months before the disease was eventually diagnosed, by which time our client had to undergo extensive surgery to remove the cancer, with an accompanying course of chemotherapy, and has been left with significant post-operative problems, including a palatal defect.
Death of patient from undiagnosed DVT
We recently acted for the bereaved family of a lady who was admitted to hospital for treatment of a urinary tract infection. Unfortunately during this admission she suffered a DVT, which was not diagnosed promptly by the hospital staff, causing her death. We assisted the family with the Inquest, and subsequently a clinical negligence claim, which we managed to settle despite the Defendant NHS Trust initially denying liability for the lady’s death.
Six-figure settlement for bowel perforation case
Our client suffered a bowel perforation during a cholecystectomy procedure, as a result of which he required emergency surgery. His subsequently developed sepsis, wound problems, kidney problems and weakness of his abdominal wall, but in addition he suffered complex problems including epilepsy and issues with his diaphragm, together with psychological stress and speech difficulties. The medical issues were therefore complicated, some of which were disputed by the Defendant, but we secured a substantial out-of-court settlement.
Tragic suicide case
This was a desperately sad case arising from the tragic events surrounding the death of our client’s wife, who had a history of mental health issues. She was admitted to hospital but, despite the staff being aware of her history of self-harm, and having undertaken a detailed Ligature Risk Assessment (which arose from several patients having hung themselves in the unit previously) that identified a telephone booth within the unit as being a particular risk, our client’s wife was able to access the booth and hang herself with the telephone cord. We were approached by our client for assistance with the Inquest into his late wife’s death, and were able to draw the subsequent civil claim to a swift conclusion by way of negotiation.
Representation for bereaved family at four-day inquest
We were approached by the family of a gentleman who tragically took his own life shortly after being discharged from hospital, having been taken there due to concerns for his mental well-being. We were concerned that he should have been admitted to hospital for assessment, but the Inquest was listed for a brief half-day hearing by the Coroner, which we viewed as totally inadequate to deal with the issues involved. As a result of our submissions, the hearing became a full Article 2 Inquest before a jury, covering four days. Vital witness evidence was gathered from the individuals involved in the gentleman’s treatment (including some contradictory evidence from the Police and the Defendant Trust’s medical staff), which was absolutely key in settling the subsequent civil case. We consider cases such as this of huge importance not only to the bereaved families, but also to the wider public where issues of patient safety are involved.
Further Settled Medical Negligence Cases
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