A woman who suffered a serious tendon injury after being bitten while separating her dogs during a fight has settled her medical negligence claim against the hospital that failed to identify the injury early on, leading to the complete rupture of her tendon and the need for surgery.
The client will be referred to as Maria.
Timeline of events
In autumn 2020, Maria was walking her dogs when they got into a fight. She was bitten on her hands, arms and legs while trying to separate them. She went to A&E, where doctors treated her wounds, gave her antibiotics and advised her to return for a follow-up at the hand clinic.
The following day, Maria underwent surgery to clean her wounds. Despite a laceration on her right forearm that suggested a deeper injury, doctors didn’t fully explore the area or check her thumb’s movement. Maria was discharged two days later with oral antibiotics.
At a follow-up appointment a month later, Maria told doctors she couldn’t move her thumb properly. She was later referred to a specialist, who confirmed a ruptured tendon in her thumb.
In early 2021, Maria sought private treatment after facing delays in the public healthcare system. Scans confirmed the tendon had ruptured completely, requiring surgery to transfer another tendon to restore movement. She spent weeks in a splint and needed physiotherapy to regain some use of her hand.
How we helped Maria’s case
We investigated Maria’s case and found several critical errors. Doctors in A&E and during her surgery didn’t assess her thumb movement, which could have identified the tendon injury early on. Furthermore, the injury on her forearm wasn’t properly explored, which allowed the tendon to rupture completely.
If Maria’s injury had been spotted earlier, she could have avoided the need for complex surgery and a long recovery.
We prepared a detailed schedule of loss in line with the expert evidence and quantified the case. An out-of-court settlement was secured.
A note from Natalizia Capizzi
“This is a clear example of how missed opportunities in medical care can have long-term consequences. Maria’s injury could have been treated with a splint if it had been identified earlier. Instead, she faced unnecessary surgery and months of recovery.”
