£100,000 Settlement
Jane was in her 60s when she developed pain in her lower back. She was eventually referred to a spinal surgeon, and she was diagnosed with a cyst on her spine. The surgeon advised Jane that this was benign.
However, Jane began having bowel and bladder problems, and faced increasing pain in her spine. After a year, Jane sought a second opinion. They agreed it was a cyst, but did not review the initial imaging, or obtain any new imaging when reaching this conclusion.
Jane then underwent various investigations for her bladder and bowel problems and ended up with a colostomy. Her back pain continued, and she was eventually referred to a new hospital, where she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called a chordoma. This was 4 years after her initial diagnosis.
By this stage, the chordoma had infiltrated her spine, and she required extensive surgery on her spine, as well as radiotherapy. Because of the radiotherapy, Jane developed fractures in her ribs, and her spine has deteriorated to the extent that she is now bent over and cannot straighten up. Pryers secured medical experts who were able to prove that had the chordoma been diagnosed earlier, the surgery would not have been as extensive, and she would have avoided radiotherapy. Furthermore, Jane suffered as a result of the unnecessary investigations and colostomy for her bladder and bowel problems.
Jane was happy to eventually accept an offer of £100,000.
