Case study: £1.85m for man who had his leg amputated due to delayed diagnosis of AAA

Our medical negligence solicitors helped a man claim compensation after he had an above-knee amputation because of a hospital’s negligence in diagnosing an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Background

Our client, Mike, was 64 years old. His medical history included slightly raised blood pressure and cholesterol, but generally, he was fit and healthy. He was working part-time but planned to retire in a few years.

In June 2019, Mike was suffering from severe back and abdominal pain, which he attributed at the time to lifting something heavy a week before. He described this pain as a “band of pain” across his lower lumbar back. The pain was so severe that he called for an ambulance.

On arriving at his home, the paramedics decided to take him to hospital as they were unsure of the cause of his pain. The paramedic record reads: ‘Red flag of abdominal issue – cannot 100% rule out abdominal vascular issue’. Once at the hospital, however, he was discharged the same morning with a diagnosis of back pain.

Delayed diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm

The following day, Mike collapsed after experiencing dizziness, severe abdominal pain and numbness in the left leg. He was noted to be pale and clammy, and his blood pressure was exceptionally low.

Paramedics were called again but due to the severity of his condition, he was taken by air ambulance to a different hospital with a specialist vascular unit.

Once there, an ultrasound scan showed Mike had suffered a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, which had caused him to collapse.

Amputation

Mike underwent immediate emergency open aortic aneurysm repair and a graft was placed to fix the rupture. The operation note described: ‘A ruptured aneurysm with a large amount of retroperitoneal blood and intra-abdominal haematoma.’ After the operation, he continued to bleed, and his condition remained unstable. His left foot did not have a pulse and there were signs of insufficient blood flow to the left lower leg.

Five days after the first surgery, it was confirmed that there was insufficient blood flow to the left lower leg, which resulted in him needing a below-knee amputation. Mike continued to suffer from feverish symptoms over the coming days and it was established that the amputation wound was not healing sufficiently, and Mike required an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg.

Had this abdominal aortic aneurysm been identified sooner, the rupture could have been prevented, and Mike would have avoided the above-knee amputation.

Claiming for medical negligence

Our specialist amputation solicitors instructed an A&E expert and Vascular Surgeon to comment on liability. Based on the strong evidence, we sent the Defendant hospital a Letter of Notification and a detailed Letter of Claim.

The Defendant admitted liability and made an interim payment so that Mike could access private prosthetic rehabilitation from Dorset Orthopaedic. He was assessed by a specialist prosthetist and physiotherapist and a Genium X3 microprocessor knee was recommended. It was also recommended that he have intensive rehabilitation to allow him to maximise the use of his prosthesis.

Quantum reports were obtained from an Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Prosthetist, and accommodation expert to settle the case. A settlement meeting took place but unfortunately, the parties were unable to reach a settlement. In addition, the Defendant’s solicitors raised the issue of life expectancy, so an additional life expectancy report needed to be obtained.

As no agreement could be reached, proceedings were issued. Our solicitors secured further interim payments for Mike during this process whereby he purchased a more appropriate single-level property and continued to invest in his rehabilitation through physiotherapy.

Settlement

Mike was keen to put this difficult time of his life behind him and, on that basis, was willing to settle for an amount lower than we advised his claim was worth.  Mike’s negligence claim settled for £1,850,000 in October 2024.

As a result of the negligence, Mike had been unable to return to work and the home that he had lived in for over 30 years was no longer suitable for him. He could no longer go for the long walks he enjoyed and, as an amputee, struggled to adjust to the limitations this brought in all aspects of his life.

Mike has had to make significant changes in his life but this compensation will enable him to continue to benefit from specialist prosthetic care (including prosthesis), physiotherapy and mobility aids. This money will assist him as he ages as he will have increasing care needs due to his amputation as well as additional adaptations that will be needed around his home, so it continues to be accessible to him until the end of his life.

Contact our amputation negligence solicitors

If you or a loved one has suffered an amputation as a result of medical negligence, our specialist medical negligence solicitors may be able to help you claim compensation.

For a chat with a member of our team, call 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form.