Michael Boylan LLP secured €275,000 in damages for a client whose hip fracture was not diagnosed on two early pelvic radiographs.
Following a fall, our client underwent radiographs in November 2017 and January 2018 which were misread. It was not until a CT scan of her pelvis in March 2018 that a comminuted fracture of her left acetabulum was identified.
Because of the delay, she was not given the option to have the acetabular fixated within the first three weeks following her first x-ray, before arthritis set in. She subsequently required a total hip replacement and will require a further hip replacement during her lifetime.
Breach of duty was admitted by the defendant. It was alleged, however, that the breach made no difference to the outcome, and that even with a timely diagnosis fixation would not have been appropriate and conservative treatment would have been recommended.
Our client continues to suffer from constant pain and has been unable to return to work.
The action settled for €275,000 together with all legal costs.