The Daily Mail writes that Michelle Richards, a 43 year old mother, has recently received compensation totalling over £10,000 from the NHS after she had the wrong leg amputated. The Daily Mail states that Michelle had been diagnosed with a rare bone infection called osteomyeltitis which required her left leg to be amputated to prevent the potentially fatal condition from spreading. Much to the shock of Michelle, as I can imagine many of you would understand, she was informed after the operation, ‘Sorry there’s been a mistake’, and was informed her right leg had been amputated instead of her left. As a result, Michelle now has to wear a prosthetic leg.
As was admitted by the hospital in question, amputating the wrong leg of a patient constituted a breach of the duty of care the hospital owes their patients and amounted to medical negligence. Most of us will only be able to imagine the impact this has had on Michelle’s life, and the distress it has caused her. If you have similarly had an operation that has not gone according to plan, then it is important that you seek the advice of an injury lawyer with experience in medical negligence claims. Medical negligence can cause the victim long term distress and other future problems. As Michelle herself said ‘I went in for the amputation and believe I was making the right choice – I never really questioned it’. As such she did not expect to have the wrong led amputated and was therefore entitled to compensation. You similarly could be compensated where you have had an operation that has gone wrong. To ensure that you get the maximum compensation you deserve, ensure you contact a medical negligence expert within three years of your injury.