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Compensation for missed wrist fracture

Medical negligence solicitor, Matthew Lindsay, has won £16,000 in compensation for a client who suffered as a result of negligent medical treatment received from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.

Matthew Lindsay

Mr Jackson was the victim of an assault with a metal bar during an aggravated burglary at his home in October 2016. He attended the accident & emergency department at Royal Derby Hospital, where a head injury was diagnosed.  A mark to his left forearm, as well as an abrasion to his forehead, were noted. He was given an advice sheet, but no follow-up arrangements were made.

Wrist fracture eventually diagnosed

Over the next few months, Mr Jackson continued to suffer from pain in his left wrist, which caused him problems in his role as a labourer. He attended accident & emergency again towards the end of January 2017, where, this time, a closed fracture of the left forearm was diagnosed. He was referred to the fracture clinic, where a formal diagnosis of hypertrophic non-union of the ulna (a partially healed fracture of the wrist where the bone fractures have not been able to join properly) was finally provided in mid-February 2017.  It could be seen from a CAT scan that the fracture had been attempting to heal.

Mr Jackson remained on light duties at work throughout this period and eventually underwent an open reduction and plate fixation procedure (a type of surgery used to fix broken bones). As the wrist had been left untreated for so long, Mr Jackson required a bone graft to be taken from his hip. This resulted in scarring to his hip from where the graft had been harvested, a long scar at the site of the wrist procedure and an extended period of recovery.

Substandard care from hospital

The defendant trust initially admitted that it had failed to diagnose the fracture in the first instance but was unwilling to admit that this substandard care had caused Mr Jackson any further period of suffering than would have occurred in any event. Eventually, the trust admitted that if the substandard care had not occurred, Mr Jackson would have not endured the extended period of pain, suffering and loss of amenity and would also not have required the bone graft that left him with scarring at the hip.

Wrist fracture compensation secured

Following an extended period of negotiation, Matthew was able to arrange a settlement of £16,000. Thankfully Mr Jackson’s wrist has now made a complete recovery, but he will be left with scarring at his hip and wrist as a reminder of the injury that led to his claim.

If you have suffered illness or injury due to receiving sub-standard medical care and you would like to find out if you can claim compensation, contact our experts now.  We will arrange a free of charge meeting in which we can discuss your case.  You can also find out more about claiming medical negligence compensation on our web pages.

Author: Matthew Lindsay, medical negligence solicitor.

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