£225k for lady following negligent hip surgery

Ben Ward, a medical negligence specialist at Ashtons Legal, has obtained a settlement of £225,000 for Ms T whose life has been dramatically altered by alleged negligent surgery and aftercare.

Ms T had a history of hip problems but, having had successful surgery in the 1980s, had been pain free until 2011 when she suffered a couple of minor accidents, including slipping on ice. Having established that the previously inserted pins in her hip had loosened, she underwent a further total hip replacement.

During the revision surgery a cable was applied around the femur which trapped her sciatic nerve. Despite clear neurological symptoms being reported to the clinical staff after surgery, there was a failure to investigate properly those symptoms which resulted. As a result Ms T was left with a permanent and prominent foot drop, permanent nerve damage and reduced mobility.

Ben comments: “It is sad that after successful surgery earlier in her life, Ms T’s later treatment was not up to standard. While this settlement can never replace the mobility that she has lost, it will enable her to have a better quality of life than would have been the case had she not sought legal advice. This is the right outcome given that her current problems were in no way of her own making.”