£1 million obtained for man who suffered a stroke following negligent care

Tom Cook, a consultant solicitor within the medical negligence team at Ashtons Legal, has obtained in excess of £1 million for a man who suffered a stroke that left him with severe disabilities.

After feeling unwell, Mr R was admitted to hospital. An electroencephalogram (EEG) revealed an abnormality in the beating of his heart and a chemical cardioversion was attempted (a procedure used to return an abnormal heartbeat to a normal rhythm). Unfortunately, this procedure was unsuccessful.

Following this, Mr R underwent an ultrasound of the heart, which revealed that his left ventricle was impaired and therefore required a cardioversion. Despite becoming aware of this, the hospital discharged him the same day.

Two days later, Mr R was found collapsed by his wife after he had suffered a major stroke. He has now been left severely disabled.

The medical professionals from the hospital admitted that insufficient anti-coagulation (blood thinning) medication had been given to Mr R whilst he was in hospital. They also admitted that he should not have been discharged and that had he been monitored correctly, he would not have had the stroke.

Chantae Clark, a paralegal in the medical negligence team at Ashtons Legal comments: “This is a particularly tragic case as the diagnostic facilities were undertaken but their significance was not appreciated nor acted upon. It is important to recognise that natural causes aren’t the only reason strokes happen and that in some cases medical negligence can lead to one. We hope that the compensation award will allow our client to access the vital care and rehabilitation services that both he and his family require.”