£425,000 for woman suffering reduced vision following delays at Lister Hospital
Mrs Stone had suffered from severe long-sightedness for some time but this did not stop her living a full life, including travelling and working full-time as an art teacher.
Mrs Stone attended A&E at the Lister Hospital complaining of pain and reduced vision in her right eye. She was assessed and admitted, with plans to be seen in the ophthalmology department the following morning. Despite this, Mrs Stone was not seen by an ophthalmologist until two days later, after she had suffered a second wave of pain and reduced vision in her right eye. When she was eventually seen by an ophthalmologist, she was diagnosed with severe acute angle closure glaucoma. She required needles to be inserted into her eyes to reduce the intraocular pressure, and later required laser iridotomies to treat her condition.
As a result of the delay in treatment, Mrs Stone suffered a significant deterioration in her functional vision. She has been, and will continue to be, unable to work. She requires a lot of help around the home and has developed anxiety whenever she ventures out of the house because of her reduced vision.
Mrs Stone instructed Caron Heyes and Jamie Green to investigate her claim. They instructed A&E and Ophthalmology experts who were critical of the treatment provided. Caron and Jamie wrote to the Trust and were able to secure an early admission of liability. They were also able to secure interim damages payments.
Valuing Mrs Stone's claim was complicated by the Trust's assertion that her loss of vision was due to a psychological rather than a physical injury to her eye, and that with treatment her condition would improve significantly. Caron and Jamie instructed an Ophthalmologist and a Psychiatrist to address these assertions, and also instructed a care expert and an Occupational Therapist to comment on her care and treatment needs, both now and in the future. At a settlement meeting, a settlement totalling £425,000 was agreed for Mrs Stone. This will allow her to adapt her home and pay for carer support so that she can be more independent and live her life to the fullest.
Following settlement, Mrs Stone said:
"I still cannot quite believe the outcome, it will be truly life changing for me. It feels like a heavy weight has been lifted that I have been carrying for so long and I would not be here without all the hard work and continued support from Caron and Jamie. Words cannot really express how truly thankful I am and how lucky I feel to have had them both fighting this battle with me."
Contact us
For further information about delayed diagnosis claims and hospital negligence claims, please call Caron Heyes on 03304606743 or email caron.heyes@fieldfisher.com, or call Jamie Green on 03304606771 or email jamie.green@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
All enquiries are completely free of charge and we will investigate all funding options for you including no win no fee. Find out more about no win no fee claims.