Fractured wrist misdiagnosed
G, a 41 year old man, came off his moped in 2009, injuring his wrist. He was driven to hospital, where he was sent for an x-ray. No physical examination of his hand was carried out. He was discharged from the hospital that day without a pot or any support, being told that his wrist was sprained. In fact he had fractured his right scaphoid.
Approximately 5-6 weeks following the accident, G became concerned that the pain was getting worse and so returned to the hospital for a second x-ray. The doctor could see a visible fracture on the x-ray taken on the day of the accident that had been missed. The doctor informed G that the fracture was now quite bad as it had pulled apart from when the first x-ray was taken. The fracture had developed and a cyst had formed. G required a bone graft and screw inserted under general anaesthetic and was left with a three inch scar.
Throughout this time, G was dependent on his partner for bathing, washing his hair and getting dressed, as well as cooking and cleaning. He was off work for over six months and still has ongoing issues with using his wrist, and struggles to write.
With the help of Margaret Ryan from the Clinical Negligence team at Irwin Mitchell, G brought a claim against the hospital trust responsible for missing the fracture. This was settled out of court for the sum of £27,000.