Have a question? Call us on 0800 1979 345
This article was published on September 5th, 2017
An RAF contractor suffered spinal injuries and is suing his former physiotherapist after alleging that he became paralysed as a result of the treatment he received.
The man who experienced neck pain after lifting a heavy power trip at work was diagnosed with a muscular strain by his GP, who advised him that physiotherapy may help reduce the pain.
The father of two claimed that his physiotherapist used ‘considerable force’ when manipulating the muscles in his neck and that he continued to do so after he was asked to stop, causing serious spinal injuries.
The physiotherapist boasts an undergraduate degree however neck manipulation is not often taught at undergraduate level, although students are made aware of the risks of the treatment.
The RAF contractor’s legal representatives said: “I would urge anyone seeing a physiotherapist for pain in the neck to ensure that they are suitably qualified to treat them and explicitly ask for proof of their qualifications before allowing them to commence treatment.”
Following severe pain after his treatment, the contractor was rushed to hospital where doctors discovered acute injury to his spinal discs which had caused blood flow to the spinal cord to stop.
Following surgery, doctors told the man he had suffered catastrophic injuries and that he was unlikely to ever walk again, there is also a possibility that he could remain incontinent for the rest of his life.
The physiotherapist is now being sued for medical negligence after causing catastrophic injuries.
Should the RAF contractor be successful, his catastrophic injury claim could be worth millions of pounds in order to account for decades of pain, treatment and potential lost earnings.
The incident is also being investigated by the Health and Care Professions Council, which regulates physiotherapists.
At Thorneycroft Solicitors our experience extends across a wide range of catastrophic injuries including, amputations and limb loss, severe burns, crushing injuries, falling injuries, paralysis and we have particular expertise in the areas of brain injury and spinal injury.
We work closely with the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust and the Spinal Injuries Association and by doing so our team has the knowledge and understanding required for dealing with catastrophic injury claims.
If you have suffered a catastrophic injury and would like to discuss the possibilities of your potential claim, you can call us for free on 0800 1979 345 or complete our simple online enquiry form and a member of our team will call you back at a time that is more suitable for you.