A butcher from Kent has accepted a remarkable clinical negligence payout worth £250,000 after a series of medical blunders left him with no option but to have his leg amputated.
The man was admitted to Medway Maritime Hospital in July 2004 with an infected little toe. He is diabetic and the doctors’ and nurses’ failure to control his illness and the infection meant he was discharged after having his leg amputated below the knee.
The amputee also developed an infection in his right leg and doctors considered amputating that as well. The infection was the result of poorly applied pressure stockings.
After the operation, the man decided to launch a legal claim against the NHS trust in charge of the hospital and it has paid off with an out-of court compensation payment totaling a quarter of a million pounds.
The victim explained, “I was devastated at losing my left leg and concerned about the impact this would have on my future. I was absolutely terrified of losing my right leg too.”
The claimant’s clinical negligence lawyer said, “[The trust] also refused to settle the case until a few months before the trial, therefore forcing [the claimant and his wife] to go through a stressful litigation process.” 