£17,250 awarded for chemical burns injury

Solicitors secured a hazardous substances compensation award of £17,250 for a 69 year old woman for burns to her leg caused by a chemical fluid incorrectly placed on her skin during an operation.

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Hazardous substances compensation claims

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Case details

Injury details

The claimant attended hospital for a knee replacement operation. The operation was a success and she was told it had gone well.

After the operation the lady developed excruciating pain in her left thigh as well as the knee that had been operated on. A nurse treated her by bandaging the knee.

The following morning the claimant was in a lot of pain still. Her bed was also wet. Nursing staff checked her leg finding a huge blister on her thigh.

The surgeon who performed the operation examined her leg. The lady was told the tourniquet used in her operation had allowed a chemical preparation fluid to burn her thigh.

The burn covered a significant area of the top of her thigh.

After eight days her wounds were treated with specialist burns bandages. She was informed she would need a skin graft.

A skin graft was carried out at a different hospital sixteen days after the initial operation. Treatment following this included further overnight stays in hospital to change bandages.

The claimant was unable to move easily as she suffered pain in her thigh. She had to wear a full body stocking daily as well as apply cream to the skin graft.

Allegation

It was alleged that the hospital was negligent insofar as the chemical preparation fluid was used in an unsafe manner.

The possibility of the chemical running down a patient's leg was well known. The surgeon was negligent in not preventing this from happening.

Following the surgery the claimant suffered excruciating pain. A skin graft was needed.

The claimant had to be readmitted to hospital for treatment for the burn on several occasions.

Conclusion and settlement

Liability was admitted and an out of Court settlement reached.

Compensation was awarded in the sum of £17,500.

£15,000 of the damages was attributed to "pain, suffering and loss of amenity."

An additional sum of £2,250 was awarded for care, travel and miscellaneous costs.

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Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.