Cauda Equina Syndrome Claim
Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) has a devastating effect on the lives of our clients, who often have sadly become “trapped ” in their own homes due to their incontinence, pain and immobility.
Timms Clinical Negligence Solicitor, David Dickie, is renowned both for achieving many high value settlements of Cauda Equina Syndrome claims and for his client empathy.
Cauda Equina Syndrome Claim
Over the years David has settled numerous cauda equina syndrome claims for many millions of pounds in total by building up big claims for lost earnings, care and housing, by carefully selected expert testimony from seasoned medical experts in CES claims.
Most of his claims have involved negligent delay in diagnosing and treating CES, in particular delay in MRI scanning and operating to decompress, and sometimes also involving a failure to warn patients about red flag symptoms and to come back to hospital if they develop.
Cauda Equina Syndrome Negligence Experts
By specialising in this field David has been able to anticipate how defendant doctors will seek to evade liability and devise strategies to outsmart them.
Cauda equina syndrome is commonly caused by the prolapse of a large disc in the spinal canal. This compresses a bundle of nerves which transmit messages to and from the bladder, bowel, genitals and saddle area, interfering with sensation and movement. Once it has been diagnosed, it is seen as an emergency, because unless the pressure on the nerves is released quickly, they can be damaged permanently. A clinical diagnosis of CES is confirmed by an MRI scan.
There is a group of symptoms, described as ‘red flags’, the presence of which may lead a clinician to suspect CES. Often a patient has severe pain in his lower back, and sciatica. The red flags include numbness in the saddle/peri-anal, or genital area, or in the urethra.
Different Types Of Cauda Equina Syndrome
There are different types of CES, depending on the extent of nerve damage. These include CES Incomplete (‘CESI’) and CES Complete, or Retention CES (‘CESR’). All patients with CES experience a continuous deterioration, but the rate of deterioration varies between patients. Sometimes the deterioration is complete within hours. Other patients’ CESI never reaches CESR. In general, on balance of probability, the outcome of surgery for patients with CESI tends to be good, whereas it tends to be poor for patients with CESR. It is therefore vital, once a clinician suspects CES, that an MRI scan is done as soon as possible (or as soon as is reasonably possible), and that, if CES is found, the patient has decompression surgery as soon as possible (or as soon as is reasonably possible).
Case Study
The Claimant was admitted to hospital complaining of severe backache which radiated into her left leg. She had been unable to open her bowels for three days and was experiencing difficulties passing water. A consultant orthopaedic surgeon requested an MRI scan but this was not carried out. Throughout the next day the Claimant increasingly lost sensation in her legs, her bowels did not open and she was unable to empty her bladder. The next day she had severe pain down her left and right leg. She was also experiencing numbness in her peri-anal region. She now belatedly underwent an MRI scan which showed a large central disc prolapse at L5/S1 level with dural compression. The Claimant then underwent immediate decompression spinal surgery but sadly afterwards continued to suffer from persisting pain and numbness and had to self- catheterise, had a lack of bowel control, and no enjoyment of sex. After proceedings were issued a settlement of £542k at today’s value was concluded.
How We Can Help
David Dickie is a member of the Law Society’s Clinical Negligence Panel, who has over 30 years of experience dealing with cauda equina syndrome claims. David can be contacted on freephone 0800 011 6666 or via email at d.dickie@timms-law.com.
