Boyes Turner’s medical negligence specialists have secured a £450,000 settlement for a 70 year old man who suffered a below-knee amputation. Mr B had a medical history of thrombosis and popliteal vascular disease. He had previously undergone angioplasty and stenting of his popliteal artery which required him to take warfarin to avoid the development of further thrombosis in his leg.Negligence leads to amputationWhen he needed surgery for an unrelated bladder problem he was not advised of the increased risk of thrombosis and femoral artery occlusion (blockage). Mr B’s blood-thinning warfarin was stopped to enable the operation to take place, which left him without appropriate prophylactic anti-coagulation. He restarted his warfarin after surgery; however he was not given additional heparin cover, as he should have been according to the hospital’s protocol. As a result of the hospitals negligence he suffered a thrombosis, leading to an ischaemic foot (lack of blood flow to the limb) and subsequent amputation.Admission of liability securedWe investigated the claim and put the case to the defendant NHS Trust. They admitted liability and apologised to Mr B. Judgment was entered for our client and interim payments were obtained. The payments we secured for Mr B helped alleviate the claimant’s immediate financial hardship and enabled him to purchase a bespoke prosthetic limb whilst the full extent of the claim was valued.Life after amputationMr B suffers from ongoing phantom limb pain and has difficulty standing or walking for long. His ability to carry out household chores and pursue his leisure activities of gardening, DIY, swimming and cycling has been severely impacted upon by his amputation. He needs adaptations to his home and car. His life expectation was already reduced, prior to his amputation, by his pre-existing medical condition. Following a review of the extent and impact of Mr B’s injury, and resulting financial losses, negotiations took place with the defendant hospital and he accepted a settlement of £450,000.If you have been disabled as a result of negligent medical care, contact us on 0118 952 7219 or email us on mednegclaims@boyesturner.com.
