The partner of a man who died after suffering a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has recovered a significant sum in damages with the assistance of M R Law.

In a highly unusual set of circumstances, Mr G suffered a fracture of his right shoulder following a fall. Due to an unnecessary delay by a hospital in diagnosing and treating this condition, his shoulder symptoms worsened and severely affected his overall mobility. That lack of mobility led to him experiencing the DVT in his leg and he died as a result of a pulmonary thrombo-embolism.

His estate bought a claim for negligence against the hospital for their failure to diagnose and treat the shoulder injury leading directly to Mr G’s untimely death.

Robert Barker head of the Medical Negligence team at M R Law who dealt with the case comments:

“We were first approached by Mr G to investigate a claim relating to the delay in diagnosing his shoulder injury. In itself, this had caused him many day-to-day problems including an inability to return to work. During the course of our investigations into the claim, sadly Mr G died after suffering the DVT.

At first, the DVT in his leg appeared to be unrelated to his shoulder injury. However, following further investigations and commissioning of expert medical evidence, we were able to demonstrate there was a direct link between the shoulder injury, his consequent lack of mobility and the development of the DVT.

Proving a link between any injury and an alleged breach of duty is as important as demonstrating there has been negligent treatment. A Claimant must succeed on all parts of a claim in order to recover at least some damages.

This was a prime example of where at first sight there may not have been an obvious link between the negligent treatment and a subsequent injury. However, through careful investigations and consideration of all the facts, it is sometimes possible to establish a link even in the most unlikely of cases.

I am pleased we were able to resolve this claim to the satisfaction of Mr G’s family in what was an extremely traumatic set of circumstances for them all.”

If you have suffered injuries or additional symptoms arising from a delayed diagnosis, please contact our specialist medical negligence team to speak directly to a qualified and experienced lawyer.