Clinical Negligence
Matthew has undertaken clinical negligence work throughout his career and is regularly instructed to advise and represent patients and their families in claims involving all areas of clinical practice including neurology, neurosurgery, spinal and other orthopaedic surgery, obstetrics and neo-natal management, pain medicine and anaesthesia, paediatrics, gynaecology, general surgery, vascular, cardiac and stroke management.
Drawing upon his complementary experience in the sphere of mental health and mental capacity law, Matthew is particularly adept at dealing with claims involving informed consent, psychiatric treatment and psychiatric injury.
Matthew’s clinical negligence practice increasingly focuses on high value brain and spinal injuries arising in the following circumstances:
Brain
- Brain injury caused during or following surgery (head surgery or neurological complications arising from other surgical procedures)
- Obstetric and neo-natal management
- Misdiagnosis or delayed treatment following head injury
- Stroke – failure to prevent and delayed diagnosis and mismanagement
- Delayed diagnosis and mismanagement of:
– Aneurysms, haemorrhages and haematomas
– Meningitis and other infections
– Raised intercranial pressure
– Brain tumours or abscesses - Mismanagement of medication resulting in brain injury
- Radiology and assessment errors resulting in brain injury
Spinal
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Missed fractures of the neck and back
- Patient handling and mobilisation errors
- Spinal surgery
- Negligent advice and consent issues
- Delayed diagnosis and management of spinal infection, abscesses and tumours
- Mistakes from facet joint injections and caudal epidurals
As with other aspects of his practise, Matthew brings a proactive and focused approach to his clinical negligence cases, closely assisting as requested with all aspects of the process from initial assessment and case planning through to settlement or trial.
Clinical Negligence Cases
Paraplegic whose care and accommodation requirements significantly increased following mismanagement of pressure injuries by district nursing staff.
Lower limb amputation claim involving older client following vascular mismanagement.
Failure to obtain informed consent for colorectal surgery resulting in post-operative infections which caused severe spinal infection resulting in cauda equina compression and weakening of the legs and incontinence.
Negligent management and treatment of a spinal abscess resulting in tetraplegia. Patient died from related infection and respiratory problems approaching third anniversary of negligence. Proceeded as financial dependency claim.
Failure to undertake prophylaxis following abscess surgery resulting in DVT and pulmonary embolism. Complex consideration of lifetime risks and provisional damages.
Fatal accident claim arising from negligent post-operative management of aneurysm repair.
Delayed diagnosis and management of spinal TB infection resulting in permanent pain and weakness.
Negligent post-operative management of spinal surgery resulting in kidney loss and ineffective rehabilitation of presenting spinal injury.
Claim based on lack of informed consent and post-surgical management of knee replacement procedure leading to development of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
Claim on behalf of diabetic patient who suffered below knee amputation following delayed diagnosis and treatment of foot infection.
Claim on behalf of wife of patient who died (following a three-year period in a minimally conscious state) following delayed diagnosis and mismanagement of a subdural haemorrhage.
Numerous claims of delayed diagnosis and management of patients resulting in cauda equina syndrome (CES), typically following disc herniation but also those arising from spinal stenosis, cancer, trauma and abscess formation.
