Four figure settlement obtained following negligent cataract surgery

Alex Thomson, Medical Negligence Solicitor at Ashtons Legal, has obtained a four-figure settlement for Mrs Y, who unfortunately suffered from an injury during cataract surgery.

Mrs Y was admitted for routine cataract surgery to her right eye after experiencing blurred vision for approximately six months. Surgery proceeded as normal, and Mrs Y’s eye was irrigated with a sterile cleansing solution administered at the conclusion of the surgery. The needle injecting the solution unfortunately became loose under the pressure of injection and detached.

Mrs Y suffered from injury to her right eye in addition to dislocation of her intraocular lens. She developed severe post-operative symptoms and required corrective surgery.

Ashtons Legal initially sent a Letter to the Defendants requesting that they provide admissions of liability. However, no response was received. Expert evidence was then obtained from a consultant ophthalmologist, which was supportive. After failing to engage for over one year, it was eventually accepted by the Defendant that the operating surgeon did not take proper care to ensure that the cannula was appropriately secured to the syringe prior to injection. It was also accepted that there had been a failure by the operating surgeon to hold on to the cannula at the point of injection.

The Defendant accepted that these failures had resulted in injury to Mrs Y’s eye, causing her post-operative symptoms and the need to undergo corrective surgery.

Mrs Y was provided with a full and formal apology and both parties then worked collaboratively in order to achieve a settlement.

Alex Thomson commented: “I was very happy to represent Mrs Y in her claim and eventually achieve a settlement in a case where we had difficulties in getting a Defendant to not only engage but also to acknowledge that any fault had occurred in the first place.

“The legal process is limited only to being able to secure financial compensation in the event of a successful claim. I was, however, pleased to see an acknowledgement of fault recognised by the Defendant in this case, along with a full and formal apology provided to Mrs Y. The latter has been very helpful in providing her with some degree of closure.”

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