£1,650,000 in provisional damages awarded for negligent delay in diagnosing and treating a bowel obstruction

Bridget Hughes acted for our Client, a 59 year old woman, who received a lump sum of £1,650,000 in provisional damages following negligent delay in diagnosing and treating a bowel obstruction at her local hospital. Moreover, the hospital failed to keep her adequately hydrated, catheterised and the fluid balanced augmentation was not appropriately completed.

She was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain and vomiting.  Due to the negligence, she suffered the total loss of kidney function leading to the requirement for dialysis, renal transplant and the need to take immune suppression medication and steroids for life.  In addition, as a result of the delays she suffered cholestatic hepatitis, lung empyema, scarring and psychiatric injury. 

Despite a successful kidney transplant, her life expectancy has been reduced to 78 years.  In addition, she was left feeling very unfit, easily fatigued and sometimes breathless.  She suffered a loss of confidence as well as forgetfulness and was prone to trip when tired.  She was unable to return to work following her transplant due to a combination of her physical and psychological symptoms.  She also now has an increased risk of developing a number of complications including heart disease and diabetes which were included in the Provisional Damages Order.  This enables her to return to Court for further assessment of damages in the event of further specified complications arising from the negligence.

Prior to injury the Claimant had worked as an administrator and ran a fishery with her husband.  The claim included a claim for loss of profits from the fishery business.  The claim also included the costs of providing home dialysis in the future which would require a house move due to the unsuitable nature of her existing home.  There was therefore an accommodation claim and also a claim for private healthcare and medication.’ 

Client comment

I could not have asked any more of Bridget Hughes.  Not only was she superb in handling my case in the legal sense, she was both very understanding and supportive, an absolute constant throughout.