Our client, a 49 year old woman from Canterbury, Kent, suffered a broken leg while walking her dog in a field.
Although an ambulance arrived on the scene promptly, it could not access the field and could not therefore transport her to hospital. Despite this being immediately obvious to the paramedics, there was a delay in summoning the Kent Air Ambulance.
During the (almost) two hours that the paramedics were present, prior to the arrival of the air ambulance, they failed to provide any of the basic treatment our client required and was entitled to expect. They failed to straighten and splint her leg, and they failed to provide any pain relief whatsoever.
As a consequence of the negligence of the paramedics, our client was caused to remain lying on her broken leg (which remained bent underneath her body) and to suffer excessive and unnecessary pain.
In addition, she subsequently developed a psychological injury which caused her to suffer nightmares and flashbacks.
Upon investigation of the claim it was discovered that the paramedic in question had provided poor care to other patients, and he was later the subject of a fitness to practice hearing by his professional regulatory body.
Liability was admitted by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and settlement was later agreed in the sum of £20,000.
Alex Tengroth, specialist medical negligence solicitor at Fairweathers Solicitors LLP based in Canterbury, commented:
“It is beyond belief that my client should have been left without any treatment having suffered a broken leg. Thankfully, expert evidence concluded that the lack of treatment at the scene did not worsen the fracture or its consequences.
My client has since responded well to psychotherapy treatment, and she is expected to make a good recovery.”