A medical negligence claim for an infected cat bite – A case study
Negligence can pose serious consequences
Background
On 20 August 2018 Mrs T attended Hospital A&E after being bitten by a feral cat. A nurse examined the wound and wiped it with iodine. No wash out of the wound was performed. Mrs T was given a prescription for Amoxicillin (despite being allergic to Penicillin) and sent home. She had to stop taking the Amoxicillin due to her allergy. On 30 August 2018 Mrs T had a pre booked appointment at a hospital for an unrelated injury to the same hand. The surgeon was concerned about her finger. Mrs T was admitted to hospital. MRI scan was carried out and she was taken to surgery. She was given intravenous antibiotics to flush out the infection. The surgeon was unhappy with the outcome of the first operation and so Mrs T had to undergo further surgery.
Consequences of negligence
As a result of the delay in treating the infection Mrs T has lost 80% mobility in her finger and the infection has caused loss of cartilage and ligament loss. The finger is on her dominant hand. She also has significant pain which is worse in the cold weather. She has difficulty with every day tasks such as getting dressed (in particular doing up buttons, bra strap and laces), cutting vegetables, writing and carrying anything heavy. She will require ongoing care and support on a daily basis for the rest of her life. Mrs T will need to undergo arthrodesis of the joint in her finger at some point in the future.
Our involvement
Mrs T instructed us to assist with her claim. We obtained supportive expert evidence from an A&E expert and an orthopaedic expert. The evidence was that with proper treatment the significant disabilities Mrs T has been left with would have been avoided. Letter of Claim was sent to the Defendant and Letter of Response received admitting negligence by the Defendant. Negotiations followed and the claim settled for £30,000. Mrs T was advised that the claim was worth more than this but she wished to settle the claim promptly without having to see any further experts.
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