Michael Boylan Litigation settled a claim arising from a delay in diagnosing Cauda Equina Syndrome for €2.5 million.
Joan\* attended the emergency department of her local hospital with symptoms of saddle paraesthesia and a loss of sensation when passing urine. These symptoms are red-flag indicators of Cauda Equina Syndrome, but they were missed by the doctors who saw her. She should have been referred urgently for an MRI to confirm the diagnosis, with surgery carried out immediately afterwards.
The delay turned Joan's life upside down. She was left with bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, daily pain and psychological injury. She was unable to care for her three young children and needed assistance with many aspects of daily living, and she required extensive treatment long after surgery under the care of colorectal and urology specialists.
After Joan had time to reflect on what had happened, she contacted Michael Boylan Litigation for help. We presented a claim on her behalf, arguing that the hospital had been negligent in the delay in diagnosing Cauda Equina Syndrome and that, had surgery been carried out earlier, her outcome would have been very different.
Although no amount of compensation could adequately make up for Joan's severe and traumatic injuries, Michael Boylan Litigation, specialists in Cauda Equina claims, obtained a €2.5 million settlement against the State. The settlement enabled Joan to pay for household care, to care for her children, and gave her financial security at a time when her injuries had limiting consequences for her career.
\Not our client's real name.*
