In this matter, our client was known to have been diagnosed with diverticular disease.
Our client attended the emergency department of a Western NSW district hospital via ambulance one evening with back pain. During his admission, our client was reported as suffering from abdominal tenderness, fever, rigours, dysuria, an inability to open his bowels, vomiting, and diarrhea. No CT scan was performed during this presentation. Our client was treated with IV antibiotics and discharged home after about 4 days.
Our client re-presented to the hospital the following day via ambulance with symptoms of severe abdominal pain and fever. Despite our client’s symptoms, he would not be transferred to another hospital to undergo a CT scan for several hours.
Once our client was transferred, and a CT scan was performed, it was found that he was suffering from peritonitis and required urgent surgery. The delay in investigating, diagnosing, and treating our client’s infection caused him to suffer a more unfortunate medical outcome. The injuries and disabilities sustained by our client impact his ability to perform his daily duties.
Due to the negative impacts, the client’s injury had on his day-to-day life; he decided to reach out to Gerard Malouf & Partners to enquire about a potential medical negligence claim. Medical negligence lawyer Susan Newman handled his case and argued on his behalf that the hospital was negligent in failing to investigate his symptoms properly.
It was decided that the best option for our client to reach a positive outcome would be to enter into settlement negotiations between the parties by way of mediation. Susan Newman and her team, including an expert barrister, negotiated a settlement of $220,000, which our client was very pleased with.
At Gerard Malouf and Partners we pride ourselves on assisting those who are mistreated, misdiagnosed and inadequately cared for by the health system. We are highly specialised and focused medical negligence lawyers with our firm being small enough to care intimately for our clients, but large enough to have the solid, financial, medical and expert resources our clients need to match the big insurers, we fight every day.
For free over the phone advice or to take advantage of our free face-to-face consultation call Gerard Malouf and Partners on 1800 004 878 and ask to speak with one of our experienced medical negligence lawyers.
