Wayne Walker and his team have successfully concluded a claim for an avoidable amputation. John (not his real name), who was just 17 years old at the time, was involved in a motorcycle accident in which he suffered leg injuries. He was taken by ambulance to the Bridlington Hospital Minor Injuries Unit where he was diagnosed as having a fractured tibia. The examining doctor was worried about the circulation in John’s injured leg and sent him by ambulance to the Accident & Emergency Department at the Hull Royal Infirmary.

On arrival at Hull Royal Infirmary, doctors found that they could not feel the pulse in John’s injured leg, indicating that the blood flow was interrupted. In light of this, John should have been taken immediately to theatre for surgical treatment to restore the blood flow, as well as dealing with the orthopaedic injuries.

Although John did go to surgery, there was a delay with investigating the issue with the blood flow and ultimately with diagnosing injury to the popliteal artery. Once diagnosed, the surgeons attempted to repair the injured artery, including carrying out fasciotomies and skin grafts but ultimately, this delay proved catastrophic for John’s leg.

John spent a couple of weeks in hospital before being discharged but a couple of weeks later, he had to be readmitted as an emergency due to a sudden bleed from the injured artery. After another lengthy stay in hospital, he was discharged home and began a lengthy and arduous recovery. It became clear that the level of function in his leg would not return to what it was before the accident and that John would be left with significant mobility issues.

Had it not been for the delay with treatment, blood flow would have been restored to John’s leg in a timely manner and he would have been spared the significant issues he faced, including the need for amputation.

Admissions were received from the Defendant Trust and funds were able to be obtained from the Defendant to cover the cost of John undergoing various surgeries. This included eventually, due to the significant issues with his leg, proceeding with an amputation below the knee. Although an immensely difficult decision to make, John felt that he had such little use of the leg that he would have better mobility and independence if the leg were removed.

A rehabilitation team was put in place to support John, including a case manager and an occupational therapist. The funds also meant that John was able to have access to a private prosthetic leg and after having this, John was able to make tremendous achievements with his mobility. He adapted to life as an amputee extremely well, to the extent that he was able to things such as walking, riding a bike and tending to his horses

with relative ease. John did however have issues with his stump, experiencing skin breakdown and sores that did not heal.

Another aspect of John’s life that was impacted was his ability to work. John had aspirations to become a mechanic but he was deprived of this by the medical negligence. He needed substantial support in respect of rebuilding his life and mapping out a future that was both achievable and satisfying for him. This support was not only practical but also emotional as John had understandably been significantly affected by facing such traumatic events, particularly at such a young age.

John was eager to put the negligence behind him and focus upon the future, including a desire to buy a property with land, so that he could be his own boss, preferably working with horses. To enable this, Wayne and his team secured a life changed settlement for John, which, although not changing what he has been through, will give him the opportunity to lead the most fulfilling life possible and set him up for his future.