Yorkshire Woman Recovers £400,000 in Damages Following Unforgettable Mistake

Published: 1st January 2017

After complaining numerous times to her GP about the condition of her warts, a local woman was eventually examined at hospital where it was noted that they had become ulcerous.

After complaining numerous times to her GP about the condition of her warts, a local woman was eventually examined at hospital where it was noted that they had become ulcerous. Usual procedure is to take a biopsy to further investigate the ulcers and detect anything that could be potentially cancerous, but for some reason this was not done and no further action was taken.

Two years later, after a re-examination, it was discovered that these warts were not only cancerous, but the cancer had also spread. This meant the woman had to undergo a serious operation to remove the cancer as well as her lymph nodes to prevent the cancer from spreading further. The need for this operation could have been prevented if the correct processes had been followed to start with.

To make matters worse, the operation triggered serious side effects known as cellulitis and vasculitis causing swelling of the legs. This meant that the woman could not care for her disabled son and forced her to depend on others for support and assistance which she will require for the rest of her life.

It was later discovered that the reason no further action was taken following the initial examination of the ulcerations was due to the consultant forgetting to refer the woman for biopsies. Other cases like this sometimes involve the loss of patient information or test results and human error is usually the main cause of this which, if correct systems are in place, can be avoided. In these cases, patients may be entitled to receive compensation. In this particular case, Liddy’s solicitors settled just before trial for £400,000 damages.

Liddy’s Solicitors have a specialist clinical negligence department. If you or a loved one have suffered injury because a hospital or a GP has lost information, please don’t hesitate to contact us to see if we can help on 01924 780753.