Diabetes misdiagnosis leads to ophthalmic injuries
He was left completely blind in his right eye and with severely impaired vision in his left. After intense negotiations, and shortly before trial, Jonathan settled his case for £400,000.
In 2002 Mr Ofori-Atta visited his optician following deterioration in his vision. His optician referred him to hospital with a diagnosis of cataracts and provided him with a hand-written letter to give to his GP. On both occasions however, his GP discarded the letters and told Mr Ofori-Atta that he did not have cataracts and that there was no need to refer him to hospital. He did not examine his eyes, nor did he take any notice of abnormal blood sugar results, which might also have led to the correct diagnosis.
In fact, Mr Offori-Atta did not receive a hospital appointment until 2006 when he was informed that he had diabetes and was suffering from diabetic eye disease. He underwent laser eye surgery in 2007 but his vision continued to deteriorate and by 2009 he had completely lost the vision in his right eye and only had partial vision in his left.
Mr Ofori-Atta instructed Jonathan Zimmern, medical negligence claims expert, who obtained reports from experts in general practice, ophthalmic surgery, diabetes, care, technology, accommodation and psychiatry. He was able to successfully prove that Mr Ofori-Atta would have avoided the substantial loss of vision and the associated development of adjustment disorder and depression if standard procedures and practices had been followed.
The Defendant admitted liability but the parties could not agree on the extent of the injuries caused by the negligence. After an initial offer of £160,000 was rejected, Jonathan managed to successfully negotiate settlement of £400,000.
Mr Ofori-Atta had this to say about Jonathan: "I was completely satisfied with the service he provided. He kept me fully updated at all times and was always available when I needed someone to talk to. I was very impressed with his manner and experience and was very pleased with the overall outcome of the case. I would recommend his services to anyone who has suffered like I have".
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For further information about misdiagnosis claims and clinical negligence claims, please call Jonathan Zimmern on 03304606779 or email jonathan.zimmern@fieldfisher.com.
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