A Medical Negligence Claim Case Study - Client Situation
Marjorie Edge attended Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, complaining of pain in her ankle and underwent an x-ray, but no injury was noted on the scan. She was advised that the pain was either tendon or muscle-related, but her condition deteriorated significantly overnight and she was unresponsive the following day.
She was rushed back to Pilgrim Hospital, where she was diagnosed with Sepsis. Mrs Edge was treated with antibiotics, but unfortunately, she passed away shortly afterwards.
Her husband Malcolm and the rest of her family were concerned with the treatment she had received and submitted a complaint to United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
The complaint was investigated and it was noted that while blood tests were taken by the nurse attending to her, these were not reviewed by a doctor before Mrs Edge was discharged. The blood tests did indicate that an infection was present, so if they had been reviewed earlier, Mrs Edge would have been admitted for further treatment. As a result, she would have in all likelihood survived the Sepsis infection.
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Mr Edge contacted our Medical Negligence Solicitors to ensure the circumstances of his wife’s death could be properly investigated and to claim compensation from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. After taking on the case, we immediately obtained a copy of Mrs Edge’s medical records.
We noted from the records and the admissions made within the complaint response that the case for substandard treatment was very strong. We helped Mr Edge to submit a Letter of Notification to the NHS Trust requesting them to make formal admissions.
The intention of this was to secure an early admission of liability, thereby reducing legal costs and the length of the claim. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust responded shortly afterwards and accepted liability in full. The Trust also apologised to Mr Edge and his family for the devastating consequences of the medical negligence.
The Outcome
Mr Edge was offered £40,000 in compensation for the claim. Whilst our Medical Negligence Solicitors felt that the claim could be worth more than this amount with further investigation, Mr Edge was keen to conclude the claim at this stage and accepted the £40,000 offer.
Mr Edge brought the claim to ensure the matter was thoroughly investigated and in the hope that similar incidents could be avoided in the future. The family were reassured by the formal admission of liability and the Trust’s apology that it had been investigated appropriately.
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