Case study: £100k award for nerve damage

A hand injury may seem like a relatively minor complaint. However, the sensitivity and movement in our hands is so important to our everyday lives that a serious hand injury can be life changing.

Nerve damage in your hands can be equally problematic. The nerves are responsible for controlling sensations, so even the slightest damage can be painful or debilitating, and could prevent you from carrying out the simplest of tasks.

If you’ve sustained a hand injury, or the nerves in your hand are damaged as a result of medical malpractice, you may be able to make a clinical negligence claim.

This is especially true if your injury has seriously impacted your life or your ability to work, as this recent case study demonstrates.

Case study

Our client, Mrs B, was admitted to hospital for an unrelated procedure, during which she had frequent blood samples taken.

A nurse attempted to take a blood sample by venepuncture from Mrs B’s right wrist. However, in doing so, she penetrated a nerve in her wrist, causing immediate and severe pain to our client.

Mrs B was discharged but she continued to suffer with persistent pain and restricted movement in her right hand. She was unable to return to her job and remained off work for several months.

Our client was eventually referred to a specialist for assessment at the hand clinic. She was examined and diagnosed with regional pain syndrome type 1. The nerve damage sustained was a direct result of the nurse’s negligent actions and she is unlikely to recover fully.

The case was managed by our medical negligence team and settled out-of-court for a sum in the region of £100,000.

Further information on making a nerve damage claim

For help and advice on making a nerve damage claim or for claiming compensation for a hand injury, call our medical negligence solicitors in Bristol on 0117 325 2929.

Alternatively complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will get back to you.