£700,000 for woman left with damaged sight following delays at Ipswich Hospital
Will Jones settled a claim on behalf of his client Caroline* who is severely sight impaired following a negligent delay in the treatment of her raised intracranial pressure at Ipswich Hospital.
When she was 18, Caroline was diagnosed with idiopathic (benign) intracranial hypertension after suffering headaches, throbbing in her right ear, bilateral papilloedema (optic disc swelling) and optic disc haemorrhages. A peritoneal shunt was inserted and Caroline recovered well.
Over the next 10 years, Caroline experienced bouts of severe headaches with neck pain but scans showed that the condition was not getting worse and was not a cause for concern. Routine assessments by her opticians continued to show normal vision and no further damage to the optic nerves.
However, a few years later Caroline started to feel she was having difficulties driving. She went to her optician who noted optic disc blurring and papilloedema, and recommended she went straight to A&E.
An examination at Ipswich Hospital (including an MRI and Goldman Visual Field test) revealed deteriorating vision as a result of longstanding high intracranial pressure. Despite the noted urgency of her condition, there was then a one-month delay for a neurology appointment at the hospital.
Increasingly concerned, Caroline went back to Ipswich A&E but, because of a five-hour wait to be seen, went instead to Addenbrookes Hospital where shunt failure was diagnosed. The intracranial pressure had reached dangerous levels so Caroline immediately had a lumber puncture - followed by shunt replacement surgery three days later.
Because of the delay in treatment, Caroline suffered permanent damage to her optic nerves and is now registered as severely sight impaired.
Having instructed an ophthalmic expert, Will settled Caroline's claim for £700,000 shortly before trial. The damages will help Caroline to regain her independence, fund adapted accommodation, ongoing care and assistive technology and equipment.
Following settlement, Caroline said:
"Will always spent as much time talking to me as I needed. He seemed to know my case inside out - it felt as if it was genuinely important to him. He never made me feel stupid, and always reassured me that I was doing the right thing."
*name change
Contact
For further information about delayed treatment claims and medical negligence claims, please call Will Jones on 0330 460 6822 or email will.jones@fieldfisher.com.Alternatively
- You can speak to our medical negligence solicitors on freephone 0800 358 3848
- email us: personalinjury@fieldfisher.com
- Complete the short online enquiry form