A&E Medical Negligence claim - delay in diagnosis and treatment of a dislocated elbow

Dislocation went undiagnosed for nine months

Boyes Turner’s medical negligence lawyers acted for a 5 year old girl who required two operations under general anaesthetic to remedy the delay in diagnosis of her dislocated elbow.

Having fallen from a sofa she was taken to hospital where a hairline fracture of her upper arm was identified and treated by plaster cast. However her dislocated elbow was missed. The dislocation was not diagnosed for nine months. What should have been a simple reduction and relocation of the elbow required two operations to repair and relocate the radial head before she regained full function of her elbow.

The medical negligence compensation claim required expert input from three medical disciplines. A consultant in A&E medicine to consider what steps should have been taken on admission to hospital following the fall. A consultant radiologist to interpret the x ray that was taken and confirm what diagnosis should have been made and a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to assess what treatment would have been required and the success of the later treatment.

The compensation claim was settled 18 months after first instructions with the approval of the Court for £8,000.

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