AB V CD HOSPITAL

The Plaintiff was a 70-year-old professional male who suffered a fractured wrist in a fall on an escalator in September 2015. He attended the Emergency Department of the Defendant Hospital, x-ray investigations confirmed a fracture of the distal radius with an ulnar styloid fracture of the left wrist. The injury required surgery in theatre to reduce the left wrist fracture with the insertion of k-wires to stabilise the joint. The Plaintiff was discharged from hospital and subsequent check x-rays showed that the fracture had started to slip and become displaced. There was a failure to recognise that the fracture was unstable and slipping into malunion. Despite multiple attendances at the Defendant Hospital’s clinic over the following month no remedial action was taken. As a consequence, the fracture united in a poor anatomical position and there was significant deformity of the wrist with consequential lack of mobility, power and pinch grip.

Fortunately for the Plaintiff he was a professional person and the loss of function in his left wrist did not cause him any loss of income, however the wrist deformity was unsightly, disfiguring and adversely affected him in many of the activities of daily living. Initially liability was disputed, and a full Defence was filed. The case was called on for hearing and the trial was scheduled for April 2021. However, two months before the trial liability was admitted and ultimately shortly before the scheduled trial date settlement negotiations took place with damages being agreed at €140,000 plus costs. The settlement reflected the full value of the Plaintiff’s claim.

Michael Boylan Litigation Law Firm can be contacted on 01-9017418 or at michael@michaelboylan.com

Source: https://michaelboylan.com/success-stories