Recent fatal medical negligence cases

Osbornes Law specialises in helping families who have suffered a fatality due to inadequate medical care.

Our specialist team is led by Stephanie Prior, who has over twenty-five years of experience helping families hold NHS Trusts to account for avoidable mistakes and medical negligence. Before Stephanie qualified as a lawyer, she was a senior NHS nurse. This means she is very familiar with medical terminology and procedures. Therefore, she can quickly identify any anomalies in medical records, which may help bring a fatal medical negligence claim against the NHS Trust.

Stephanie can also support and guide you through the inquest procedure.

Below are some of Stepanie’s most recent cases.

Mis-diagnosis of asthma leads to death of family man

Stephanie Prior acted for the wife of a man, 42, who was wrongly diagnosed with asthma when he had cardiac problems and should have been admitted to hospital for investigation and treatment. He was discharged from hospital and died following a collapse at work due to cardiac arrest several hours later.  

The deceased left a wife of 19 years and two young sons. 

The case was settled following negotiations.

Failure to diagnose glaucoma leads to a six-figure fatal compensation claim.

Stephanie Prior acted for a woman whose GP failed to provide her with the correct medical care, leading to a delay in her diagnosis of bilateral angle closure glaucoma. She was then registered blind, required nursing care, and could not live independently at home. She moved to a nursing home and funded this privately. She died following a fall in 2020.

Her son pursued a claim on his mother’s behalf, and the case was settled following negotiations for a six-figure sum.

Premature hospital discharge leads to fatality.

Stephanie Prior acted for a man who was under the care of mental health services and was prematurely discharged home despite having significant mental health issues. He took his own life and left a partner and a 3-year-old daughter. His partner pursued a claim for negligence under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 and Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934. An Inquest was held.

The civil case was settled against the NHS Trust, and the court approved the settlement in early 2021.

Failure to diagnose appendicitis leads to a fatal claim

Stephanie Prior is acting for the family of a woman in her early 50s who died due to the NHS Trust’s failure to diagnose appendicitis. There was also a failure by her GP to refer her to the hospital sooner. When she eventually arrived at the hospital, she was seriously unwell. She required emergency surgery, and this was delayed. She eventually did have surgery, however, tragically, she died post-operatively of multi-organ failure.

The case is still ongoing and there are many complex issues relating to the case.

Misread electrocardiogram dismissed the chest pains as heartburn

Mr Page called for an ambulance after experiencing chest and arm pains. A private ambulance, working for the NHS trust, arrived, and the most senior crew member misread an electrocardiogram and dismissed the chest pains as heartburn or a pulled muscle. She also advised Mr Page and his wife that he was not having a heart attack.

This was despite the concerns of a junior colleague who voiced his concerns on numerous occasions that, based on the ECG readings; Mr Page should be taken to hospital.

Mr Page subsequently did not attend hospital and tragically died the next morning at his home.

The coroner found that Mr Page’s death was preceded by a ‘serious failing of medical care’ provided by the private ambulance service. The East of England ambulance service, which contracts the private ambulance service, commissioned a serious incident report which found a number of failings, including the lack of a fully trained paramedic on board the ambulance, complacency by the senior technician on board who failed to act on her colleague’s concerns and wrongly advising Mr Page that he was well enough not to have to go to hospital.

To speak with Stephanie about your situation and find out if it may be possible for you to bring a claim, please contact Stephanie. You can fill in the form below and we will get back to you.