A woman who developed a life-threatening condition after being bitten by dog has been awarded £250,000 compensation by a hospital trust for its failure to put her on a course of antibiotics.
The 50-year-old had been seen in a hospital’s emergency department and was discharged home after having the bite cleaned and a dressing applied.
However, she was infected by capnocytophaga, a bacteria which lives in the mouths of dogs, and went on to develop meningoencephalitis – a rare and life-threatening condition in which you have both meningitis and encephalitis at the same time.
Over the following days, she became increasingly unwell at home and was then found unconscious by her daughter, having fallen. She suffered a head injury, a fractured and dislocated shoulder and a fractured elbow.
She was admitted to the hospital where she was diagnosed and treated for meningoencephalitis on the intensive care unit for eight days, and placed into an induced coma.
Now, the NHS Trust involved has agreed to a £250,000 out-of-court settlement with the woman after she was represented by our medical negligence compensation claims team at Hudgell Solicitors.
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Permanent injuries caused by fall
The Trust admitted it had breached its duty of care in failing to prescribe a seven-day course of antibiotics, causing the woman to develop the condition in April 2019.
As part of the legal claim, it was also alleged her injuries from her fall, which have had a significant impact on her life, were a direct result of her illness, caused by the Trust’s failings.
She has been left much more unsteady on her feet, has suffered from memory loss and has been left unable to lift her left arm over her head. She has lost confidence and has become ‘completely reliant’ on her daughter to help her at home.
It was also alleged the Trust failed to provide timely treatment for the fracture dislocation of her shoulder, as a result of which she suffered a brachial plexus injury and permanent disability.
Independent medical experts consulted as part of the case, said the woman had also developed an adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood and had been left with permanent pain, stiffness and weakness in the left arm and shoulder.
The daughter found her mother unconscious
The woman’s daughter recalled how her mother had felt unwell after initially returning home from hospital.
She found her unresponsive when visiting to check on her, and says the illness and injury have hugely impacted her health. She said:
I’d spoken with my mother on the phone and she said she was not feeling very well, and she described what sounded like flu symptoms.
The next morning I tried to call her on the telephone and there was no reply. I tried several times and I was concerned for her health. I have a spare key to her house so I was able to let myself in, and I found her in the bedroom. She was unresponsive and unable to communicate.
I called an ambulance and at the hospital, she was placed in an induced coma. The doctors at the hospital told me that they were concerned that she may have had a stroke. She was in an induced coma for about seven days while various tests were carried out.
Prior to her illness and injury, my mother was able to live very independently. She had a voluntary job and did all the household chores. Since she has become dependent on me to assist her with all household chores, and even getting in and out of the bath.
I spend a lot of my own time caring for my mother now and see her every other day. I assist her with tasks such as cooking, cleaning and washing and spend around 2-3 hours each time I visit and I will just do whatever needs doing.
Failure to prescribe antibiotics was an ‘inexcusable oversight’
Solicitor Abigail Frudd, a specialist in medical negligence compensation claims at Hudgell Solicitors, said she was pleased to have secured a full admission of liability from the Trust. She said:
My client developed a very serious, life-threatening condition as a direct result of the Trust’s failure to place her on a course of antibiotics, which was an inexcusable oversight given the known dangers of capnocytophaga infections following a dog bite.
For some time the Trust admitted its failure in this aspect of its care but refused to accept that it had subsequently also been to blame for her fall and the injuries she then suffered at home.
However, having consulted a number of independent medical experts as part of our case, we were able to gather evidence which established that, with appropriate treatment, her fall would have been avoided, and she would not have been left with the lifelong disability she now has.
I was pleased to secure this significant settlement for my client as her life has changed significantly, and at a relatively young age, she has been left struggling in many aspects of day-to-day life.
This settlement will help compensate for her pain and suffering, the loss of potential future earnings as she was in the process of seeking paid employment at the time, and cover the cost of required equipment and care in the future.
