Broken Leg compensation??

bossman13

Hi, Any advice welcome.

On 01/10/06 i broke my Tibia and Fibula playing football, it was a particularly nasty break mid-shaft and broke in 4-5 places over a fairly small area. Be warned all those who think its a girls game!!:eek:
I was taken straight to hospital and they decided that the best course of action was to pull it into position and put me in a full cast for 7 wks, 8 wks half cast and then just crutches for a month or so. During this time I was having X-rays every 3-4 wks but after only a couple I was becoming worried that a kink was developing at the site of the injury. I voiced my opinion to several doctors over the coming months only to be told everything was ok. 17 months on and im going back into hospital today to have corrective surgery on both bones as there is 10 degrees of mal-union (a large kink) where there shouldn't be.

I now face another 4 months on crutches and all the crap that goes with it when u have a 10 wk old daughter and live in a second floor flat. My solicitor tells me this is a unique case and sounds a little unsure if my claim will succeed.
Has anyone out there had the misfortune of a similar injury?? Do u struggle with any symptons now?? ( my surgeon has told me he cant guarantee i'll ever be sympton free).
This really is the bear bones of a very long winded saga.
Massive thanks to anyone who reads this autobiography and can offer any advice.

soolin

Who exactly are you claiming compensation from..do you have personal injury insurance? Or, alternatively am I mis understanding the post and you are claiming from the NHS for problems resulting from the first 'fix'.

bossman13

Im claiming against the NHS through a nationwide claims company.

Lots has happened between the two main events including an operation that was cancelled the evening before it was due (I am aware that these things happen but it just adds to an already laughable list).

About 2 hours after I originally broke my leg i was lying on the hospital bed and was given the following 2 options:
1) Pull the leg straight and fit a full cast for 2 months, half cast for another month or so followed by plenty of physio.
2) Pin/Plate my bones.
It was explained that the natural route would take longer to heal but after around 4-5months i would be back to normal. Pin/Plating would initially heal quicker but may well need removing in a couple of yrs.

Given the option of not having any metal in my leg was the winner especially since i was told it would heal perfectly well.

As i said before 17 months of aggro, not being able to playing sport etc followed, only to have gone back in this wkend to correct the 10 degree of malunion in both bones.

My complaints are; why was a very important medical desicion passed to a young man with no medical experience, in lots of pain, high on morphine and gas and air.
Why was the operation put off for so long when it was obvious from very early on that it was gonna need surgical intervention.

Thanx for your time

DaisyFlower

They gave you a choice as you are an adult and capable of deciding.

Count yourself lucky that you live in a country with access to free health care, not all people are born so lucky.

bossman13

Understandable view, however even if you discount a generous 6 months of healing time for the initial break i have still had an extra year of dsicomfort(still counting). I came out of hospital today having had a 7 inch plate fitted by 8 screws to my tib and a 1 inch middle section of my fib removed permenently. If done to start with this op would not have had to have been so drastic and I would have had the metal removed by now and returned to sport etc.
As it stands i am back to square 1 with "no guarantee that the op will improve my quality of life and i will never be syptom free" my surgeons exact words!!
As I see it it has been far easier for these incompetent, overpaid surgeons to "pass the buck", as again in my surgeons words it was a "very difficult procedure".
May I point out that not having missed a days work since leaving school that this is not a "free service" and as a G.P averages £110000 per annum,surgeons must earn more, "difficult procedures" should not be dodged!

soolin

I must say I am shocked that anyone would consider 'choice' a poor idea. I have been involved in charities that for many years have fought to give patients a right of choice in their own treatment and to hear someone say that they want to be treated the same as those with mental incompacity (who have different levels of choice available) horrifies me. I have actually been in court with people desperately seeking to be allowed to make a choice and you want us back in the Victorian age :eek:

Yes you will probably be paid off with a small sum, unfortunately with the state of the NHS it is often cheaper to pay off a claim than it is to fight them, even if the NHS win. Sorry sad of affairs I know.

soolin

Sorry I just can't leave this one..your treatment was free I assume and I don't think you are making yourself look very bright by somewhere wittering on about GP salaries and surgeons. If you want to keep safe it is probably easier just not to play football in the future. However if you want to live in the real world with real people then carry on and accept a few risks in your life..play sport, enjoy yourself but understand that sometimes things don't go to plan.

Sola

My husband had a broken leg, put in plaster, and it didn't heal so after 10 months of walking around on it with crutches, he had a pin and plate put in and is still in pain now. Compensation never crossed our mind - we despise the compensation culture.

bossman13

1)Im sorry you all feel this way, my aim of this discussion was not to berate all surgeons or win sympathy from millions of people around the country. I was trying to find people who had been through similar experiences and what problems it had caused them in the long term and if they had made a sucessful claim or not.
2)Whilst I believe being given a choice is vital in many cases I do not accept that important medical desicions should be handed over to the general public, otherwise what would be the point in training these medical profesionals for so many years!
3)I do not live in a world where I expect to be wrapped in cotton wool! Having played several sports to a good standard my entire life and serving in the forces for many years, I have the same feelings about the compensation culture and the H&S crazy world we live in, as most people.
It was only after 13-14 months when I had had enough of everybody telling me (including my G.P and other people from the medical proffesion) that the treatment i have received from the start has been unaceptable, that I decided to go down the compensation route.
Please post here if u have something constructive to say and is advice along the lines of which my first post originally intended.

franny

I broke my elbow playing football. One hospital said it was too difficult to deal with there so I got transferred to another one. Sat around for hours having been told that it needs operating on. Guess what, no pain killers, no food or water and ultimatey no operation. I nearly damn passed out at that news, I had never felt so much pain.

Anyway

I still don't have full movement and the elbow grinds and cracks like you'd never believe. However I still play all of the same sports that I did before after the initial lay off and compensation did not once cross my mind. I'm sorry but I just couldn't sue the NHS. I didn't get MRSA and I think that there is a case there for compensation. I am just left woth a sore elbow.

And I have broken both ankles playing football and never was once put in a cast, my choice...

bossman13

Thanx Franny, an honest opinion from someone with personnal experience. I don't envy you in your old age tho pal,hopefully you'll get a decent ride!