Eurydice Cote has recently settled a claim for Ms W in relation to a delay in diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) - a condition where the ball and socket joint of the hip does not form properly in babies and young children.
Ms W’s mother took her to see the GP when she was 2 years old due to some concerns about how she was walking. The GP referred her to go and see another GP in the practice who had a special interest in orthopaedics. This second GP, the defendant in the case, examined Ms W three months before her third birthday and concluded there was no abnormality with her hips.
We claimed that the examination was not adequate and that had it been done correctly, the defendant GP would have recognised that there was a problem and made a referral for an x-ray or to see an orthopaedic surgeon. These actions would have led to a diagnosis of DDH. In fact, Ms W’s DDH was not diagnosed for another 9 years.
With earlier diagnosis, we argued that Ms W would have been able to have a surgical reduction of both hips and suffered minimal symptoms until later in life. As a result of the delay she will likely need hip replacements by age 35 and two further revisions within her lifetime. She suffers restrictions in her day to day activities and will likely require a caesarean section if she has children.
The Defendant did not accept liability and fought the claim until 4 months before trial but at that stage did agree to a settlement of £300,000 which was an excellent outcome for our client.
I am so grateful to Richard, Eurydice and to all of the KN team for their hard work on my case. Also, for achieving a fantastic outcome for me so I have peace of mind for the future!"
A Client
More information about DDH claims can be found on our dedicated webpage and in our recent blog.