Substantial compensation award for medical misdiagnosis

Mr Shaw visited his local A&E department with an abrasion on his left thumb which had failed to heal after two weeks. The wound had become painful and swollen and had spread up to his wrist.

Doctors took a blood sample but had diagnosed tendonitis before the results came back. Mr Shaw was advised he did not need to wait for the results of the blood test and was subsequently discharged.

At home, Mr Shaw continued to suffer pain, and eventually, he collapsed and was admitted to the hospital with septic shock.

Once in hospital, necrotising fasciitis of his left arm was diagnosed and despite treatment, was subsequently amputated above the elbow. A compartment syndrome developed in Mr Shaw’s other arm, requiring emergency surgery to alleviate pressure caused by the necrotising fasciitis infection.

Medical negligence claim

Mr Shaw approached Blackwater Law to discuss a claim for medical negligence. After speaking with Jason Brady, a specialist medical negligence solicitor, Mr Shaw chose to be represented by Blackwater Law on a no-win, no-fee basis.

Liability

Initially, the defendant admitted breach of duty of care but did not admit causation, claiming the infection was too far advanced when Mr Shaw presented in A&E.

Blackwater Law employed an eminent microbiologist from our panel of experts, who confirmed that prompt antibiotic treatment would have lessened the severity of the infection and Mr Shaw would not have received such severe injuries and would not have led to the amputation of his left arm.

Using medical evidence, Blackwater Law were able to refute the defendant’s position which resulted in them changing their position and admitting causation.

Financial Security

Mr Shaw has not been able to work since the incident, and Jason was able to secure numerous interim payments during the claim. This enabled Mr Shaw and his family to live without the worry of how to pay the bills. This was particularly important given Mr Shaw’s ability to work had obviously been severely impeded due to the amputation of his arm.

Blackwater Law employed a number of leading medical specialists in the course of the claim, in order to present the strongest possible supporting evidence for Mr Shaw’s medical negligence claim. This evidence was used to negotiate a settlement that took into account the injuries Mr Shaw received, the care he will likely need for the future, and the loss of earnings.

Blackwater Law and Mr Shaw were pleased with the final settlement which has secured the future for Mr Shaw and his family.