Settlement achieved for delay in diagnosing severed ligament

Ruth Houghton, a medical negligence specialist at Ashtons Legal, has obtained a settlement for her client who suffered a delay in diagnosis for a severed ligament.

Mrs N dropped a glass onto her foot, resulting in a deep laceration. She immediately attended A&E, the wound was cleaned and she was then sent home with some dressings. Over the coming weeks, Mrs N noticed she was unable to move her toe and she was struggling to walk around. She was back and forth to the hospital and was advised that the deep cut would just take time to heal.

Approximately six weeks later, Mrs N was seen by a different clinic and was advised that she had completely severed her EHL ligament and this was why she could not move her toe or walk properly, and she needed surgery to repair this.

The Defendant Trust conducted an investigation into the delays and admitted that the ruptured ligament should have been diagnosed and treated when she first attended. Mrs N has since been awarded compensation for her injuries.

Ruth Houghton comments: “Whilst it is encouraging to see the Hospital conducted a prompt investigation and admitted liability early in Mrs N’s case, it is all too common to see failures in basic medical treatment resulting in preventable and avoidable injuries.”

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