As unlikely as it may seem, there are occasions when medical professionals fail to detect a fracture. If this has happened to you, you should contact a solicitor to talk about the treatment you received, as it is possible that you have been the victim of medical negligence.

How can medical professionals miss a fracture?

Every day, thousands of people in the UK will be involved in some sort of accident that results in a fractured bone. The diagnosis and treatment of such fractures is now routine practice for medical professionals, and there really should not be any difficulty in detecting a broken bone. Indeed, a patient who presents to A&E who have been involved in an accident (such as a slip, trip or fall) and now have symptoms consistent with a fracture should be sent for an x-ray. A competent radiographer should then be able to identify whether a fracture is present.

However, sometimes an individual will leave hospital with a fracture that remains undetected. This will either because a medical professional decided that there was not a broken bone and thus neglected to arrange an x-ray, or an x-ray was performed but doctors failed to accurately analyse the image.

Consequences of a missed fracture

When a fracture is missed, the consequences can be extremely debilitating for the person concerned. First and foremost, he or she will remain in significant pain and discomfort, and will in all likelihood be unable to use the limb or body part affected.

Because of this, it is probable that a patient will return to their GP or local hospital for further investigation. When the fracture is finally diagnosed, it is possible that the bone will already have begun to knit together. However, it will not be properly aligned, so an operation may be required to re-break the bone. The limb will then be set in a cast to ensure the bone is aligned. Although this can subsequently lead to a full recovery, it may be that a patient then suffers long-lasting complications as a direct consequence of the delay in diagnosis.

Claim compensation for your missed fracture

If your fracture has been missed, causing you prolonged pain and suffering, you will be entitled to compensation. This is intended to recompense for the damages you have incurred, including the pain of living with an undetected fracture, the pain of an unnecessary operation, the pain of a prolonged recovery period, your loss of amenity, and your loss of finances.

To find out more about claiming compensation for a missed fracture, contact a medical negligence solicitor today.