£420,000 settlement obtained for delayed diagnosis of a hip fracture

In August 2018, Mr C tripped and fell landing on his right leg.

Mr C attended A&E as he was unable to weight bear on his right leg. He was examined but no x-ray was performed. He was discharged with advice to attend a physiotherapy appointment the following week.

Mr C attended his physiotherapy appointment the following week and was given various exercises to perform at home. He was advised that his injury could take up to 6 weeks to heal.

Over the following weeks, Mr C started to experience more intense pain. He was unable to weight bear on his right leg and was unable to raise his leg due to severe pain. Mr C attended a private physiotherapy session. The physiotherapist noted the hospital’s diagnosis and his concerning symptoms and advised him to attend A&E for an urgent x-ray.

The x-ray confirmed that Mr C had suffered a fractured hip. As a result of the delay in diagnosing the hip fracture, Mr C underwent a right total hip replacement and will require further revision surgeries in the future.

Kate Smith, medical negligence claim specialist comments “Had the correct investigations, treatment and aftercare been provided when Mr C initially attended with the injury, then he would have likely avoided undergoing a hip replacement at such a young age. Although this settlement will not prevent the future surgeries Mr C will need to undergo, it will help secure his future in covering the future costs that will be incurred as a result of the negligence.”