The claimants details have been changed but this is indeed a true case

Helen Palmer, a lawyer at Ward & Rider Solicitors, acted for a client who suffered an injury to her left knee in November 2007. She ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of her knee with a haemarthrosis; the medical meniscus of the knee was also torn. She was taken to Accident & Emergency and the injury was diagnosed.

Our client was later seen in an orthopaedic clinic in January 2008 and was referred for diagnostic imaging. In January 2008 our client underwent an MRI scan in order to investigate any further injury. No significant abnormality was detected from the scan. Our client was therefore told that the scan was essentially normal.

The knee was painful and gave way frequently. In June 2008 whilst our client was at work her knee gave way causing her to fall, as a result of which she sustained fractures to her left ankle which required surgery.

Ultimately, there was a two year delay by the hospital in the repair of the anterior cruciate ligament and therefore this delay resulted in an increase in the symptomatic changes to the knee and also the accident which occurred in June 2008.

We obtained medical evidence and eventually the Hospital Trust met our client’s claim in the sum of £40,000. The hospital accepted that they had been negligent in the interpretation of the initial MRI scan. Had the same been interpreted correctly our client would have received the treatment required to repair the damaged ligament to her knee and had this been carried out then the possibility of her slipping in 2008 as a result of the knee giving way would have been minimal and therefore on balance of probabilities would not have occurred.