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This article was published on April 18th, 2018
Our Clinical Negligence team first met Carey in November 2015 after Thorneycroft Solicitors were initially contacted by Carey Hulme’s son who was referred to Paula Bridge, our Head of Clinical Negligence, by Melanoma UK.
Carey had just had her claim for compensation rejected following an unsupportive medical report from a Consultant Dermatologist instructed by her original solicitors.
Harry, Carey’s son, explained to Paula that both he and his mother felt strongly that they had cause for complaint with regards to the treatment that she received from the Consultant Dermatologist to whom she was referred via her GP.
Initially, Carey tried to deal with her concerns and her formal complaint with the Trust herself until the point that she felt she was being given the runaround, she then reached out to a Solicitors for a consultation and for some legal advice.
The firm of Solicitors agreed to act on her behalf, but unfortunately, Carey felt that they weren’t listening to the concerns that she had, and even though the situation was not obvious from the medical records, she was convinced that some of those records had been altered. A witness statement was also prepared, which she felt did not truly represent the events that had occurred truthfully.
Despite her concerns, this formed the basis of the instructions to the medico-legal expert for review and this evidence would help decide the prospects of success of the claim. Following the unsupportive medical opinion, the case was closed down.
Carey then went to two other large city-centre law firms, both of whom were unwilling to consider the claim as they felt the prospects of success were below 50%.
As a result, Carey’s son asked whether or not Paula would mind meeting his mother just to hear what she had to say.
As our Medical Negligence team always put the needs of their clients above all else, Paula was more than happy to oblige. She met with Carey and that started a relationship, which ended in Carey receiving a full admission of liability in relation to her claim, a letter of apology from the Chief Executive of the NHS Trust and assistance with future treatment.
Unfortunately, nothing can change the situation Carey finds herself in now and the fact that the delay in diagnosis has had a devastating life-changing effect upon her, but hopefully, she will have taken some comfort in the fact that we have hopefully restored her faith in the legal system and demonstrated that there are some professionals legal advisors you can trust.
During the course of our investigations and the running of the claim, we were able to reassure Carey that her initial suspicions with regard to the notes being altered were absolutely correct. With a meticulous review and cross-referencing of dates and handwriting styles, our Clinical Negligence team were able to show the notes had been altered. Once the evidence was presented to the defendants we got a quick admission of liability.
This was by no means a straightforward case and it did take a long time to carry out those investigations and to find the evidence needed to prove Carey’s claim, however, we kept Carey informed of what was happening at all times as well as explaining the relevant timeframes that we were working towards and why.
Our team understand the importance of listening to their clients and giving them the reassurance that what they are saying is relevant.
Our Clinical Negligence solicitors always remember that it is the claimant’s case and that we are here to advise on the claim and not take it over by disregarding the thoughts of the client.
This attitude was the key to us obtaining the correct result for Carey.
We are pleased to say that in 2018 Carey is still with us determined to enjoy her life despite the uphill battle she continues to face.
You can view our video telling Carey’s story below.
If you have been affected by medical negligence, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We can arrange a free initial interview to discuss your case and assess the viability of your claim, and our team will be able to advise you on the next steps that you need to take.
