Case study: £1m in compensation for delayed treatment of meningitis

A recently released report by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations shows that around half a million children under five die of meningitis worldwide every year.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has put meningitis high on the global agenda and is working to eliminate the disease in certain areas of the world.

As medical negligence solicitors and meningitis specialists, we’ve seen first-hand how meningitis can affect patients, both young and old. This recent case, conducted by Myfanwy Buckeridge, demonstrates the importance of diagnosing meningitis quickly and at an early stage.

Meningitis treatment delayed due to negligence

Our medical negligence solicitors were instructed by a client who fell ill with suspected sinusitis and deteriorated rapidly. After attending hospital, they were diagnosed with meningitis and admitted to intensive care.

Their medical history made them susceptible to bacterial infections and more at risk of developing conditions such as meningitis and sepsis. However, their GP had failed to identify their previous illnesses within their patient file, and they weren’t told to see a GP or visit A&E immediately if they became unwell.

Because of this, our client was left with permanent physical and psychological impairments, including a significant brain and heart injury, as well as hearing loss. This had a detrimental impact on our client’s professional and personal life, and they now require significant help from friends and family and specialist equipment.

Settlement of £1,000,000

Experts concluded that the reason our client developed meningitis was that their historic illnesses made them vulnerable and additional precautionary treatment recommendations should have been made which would have prevented it.

Despite significant areas of dispute, we were able to settle the case for over £1,000,000 which included past and future losses due to unemployment and the need for care and assistance together with compensation for the risk of further complications from the cardiac damage caused by meningitis.

Further information

If you’ve suffered as a result of a delayed meningitis diagnosis or meningitis misdiagnosis, call our medical negligence solicitors on 0117 325 2929 or contact us via our online form.