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Griffith woman receives $160,000 settlement for infection caused by medical negligence

Case Overview
  • During her admission, an incorrectly inserted intravenous cannula was placed into her arm and not promptly removed or replaced.
  • The incident left our client with cephalic vein damage and median nerve damage, causing ongoing pain, swelling and numbness to her arm, including loss of dexterity to her hand.
  • Griffith woman receives $160,000 settlement for infection caused by medical negligence.

 

Our client when to her local hospital following severe abdominal pain and nausea. During her admission, an incorrectly inserted intravenous cannula was placed into her arm and not promptly removed or replaced. This occurred despite our client’s repeated complaints to the nursing staff that her arm was in considerable pain. 

Following our client’s discharge from the hospital, she developed an infection and thrombosis in her right cephalic vein. As such, our client was then admitted to the ICU where she received treatment for the infection. 

The incident left our client with cephalic vein damage and median nerve damage, causing ongoing pain, swelling and numbness to her arm, including loss of dexterity in her hand. 

Following the incident, our client continued to suffer both physically and psychologically due to ongoing pain. Seeing the devastating effects of her injuries on her quality of life, our client sought expert advice and assistance from Gerard Malouf & Partners (GMP Law).

 

“We obtained an expert medical opinion in support of this argument. On this basis, we were able to commence proceedings against the local health district. “

GERARD MALOUF & PARTNERS
Our Approach

Solicitor Susan Newman took on this case and argued on behalf of her client that the hospital was negligent for failing to promptly remove or replace the incorrectly inserted cannula. 

We obtained an expert medical opinion in support of this argument. On this basis, we were able to commence proceedings against the local health district. 

While some resistance to the claim was initially pressed, we were able to enter into settlement negotiations between the parties by way of mediation. Ms Newman and her team, including an expert barrister, negotiated a settlement of $160,000.   

At GMP Law, we pride ourselves on assisting those who are mistreated, misdiagnosed and inadequately cared for by the health system. For free over-the-phone advice at 1800 004 878 or to take advantage of our online enquiry form.

The Result

Ms Newman and her team, including an expert barrister, negotiated a settlement of $160,000.

Susan Newman

Senior Associate
Gerard Malouf & Partners were amazing with my claim. Susan … listened to me and explained each step, they were extremely patient with all my questions. The end result was more than expected. …… Would definitely recommend GMP for your claim
Frequently Asked Questions

More Information

Demonstrating that a doctor fell short of their duty of care can be a challenging process. While most doctors try their best to correctly diagnose conditions and provide timely medical treatment, they can’t always be right. In every state, protections are in place to shield practitioners from some litigation. These give practitioners peace of mind on the job and protect hospitals that are doing their best with limited resources. However, these laws also set the bar for receiving compensation incredibly high.

Overall, to win a favorable judgment, you must be able to prove Duty, Breach and Damages.

If you have been injured or an existing condition has got worse following a medical procedure, or even just a visit to the doctor, then you may have been the victim of medical negligence and you may be eligible to make medical negligence claims against the professional who caused your injury.

The process can be long, but the start can be found at an RCA (root cause analysis) which must be undertaken and can be discovered by obtaining copies of the medical notes at the institution where the unfortunate outcome occurred.
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About Us
Gerard Malouf & Partners have provided friendly, experienced legal advice to communities across Australia for over 35 years. Our Personal Injury Lawyers have taken on ten’s of thousands of cases and we are proud to have won billions of dollars for our clients.
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Meet the diverse and dynamic team of compensation lawyers and supporting staff that have made this all happen below. Our multi-lingual team can discuss your claims in Arabic, Assyrian, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Serbian, Croatian, Armenian, Mandarin, Hindi, Punjabi or Malayalam.
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Meet the diverse and dynamic team of compensation lawyers and supporting staff that have made this all happen below. Our multi-lingual team can discuss your claims in Arabic, Assyrian, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Serbian, Croatian, Armenian, Mandarin, Hindi, Punjabi or Malayalam.

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