Misdiagnosed Broken or Fractured Bone Claims

Having a break or fracture misdiagnosed can have a significant effect on your day to day life. If your injury has been misdiagnosed or diagnosed late, you may have been treated incorrectly for a period of weeks, months, even years. This can lead to a longer and more problematic recovery, impacting on your ability to work or carry out other everyday tasks.

At First Personal Injury, our experts are experienced in dealing with misdiagnosis claims. 

For a no-obligation initial discussion about your potential claim, please call us on 0333 358 2345 or get in touch online.

The difference between a break and a fracture

While a fractured bone is often thought of as being less severe than a broken bone, a fracture is actually the same as a break. A fracture is any loss of continuity of the bone. Fractures can range in severity from minor or hairline cracks to more serious fractures where the bone snaps or breaks, damaging the surrounding tissue.

Broken bones can be complex and often take much longer to heal than a more minor fracture. If the bone is close to a vital organ when it breaks, this can also lead to life-threatening complications.

The implications of a broken or fractured bone

Usually, it is easier to diagnose more significant breaks than minor fractures. However, both kinds of injury are extremely painful and can make movement difficult.

Sometimes, a fractured bone results in swelling and tenderness around the injury, bruising and deformity.

Fractures and breaks are most commonly diagnosed and evaluated with an x-ray which provides clear images of the bone. An x-ray will show whether a bone is intact or broken. It will also show the type of fracture and exactly where it is located.

When might I be able to make a claim?

Sometimes, patients are not properly examined. Their break or fracture may be misdiagnosed as a soft tissue injury, so they won’t be referred for x-rays. Consequently, patients may be given the wrong advice in terms of treatment, reducing the prospect of their injury healing properly. In these cases, they may have a claim for medical negligence.

Claims may also arise when:

• an x-ray is not examined properly
• a fracture is missed or misreported
• the patient is not called back for a check-up or review of the radiology

An undiagnosed break or fracture not only causes prolonged pain and suffering but can also prevent the bone from healing properly. What’s more, a broken bone left untreated can restrict the blood supply to surrounding tissue. If a muscle is not supplied with blood carrying oxygen, it will become damaged and start to die (this is called Avascular Necrosis or Osteonecrosis).

Delays in fracture diagnosis can be serious and have a life-changing impact. In the most serious cases, amputation may be necessary. If you’ve experienced negligence following a broken bone or fracture, we can help you seek the compensation you deserve.

You have a 3-year time frame in which to make a medical negligence claim. This time limit starts from the date that you first realised you had received negligent care.

How to claim for a misdiagnosed fracture or break

If you believe that you have a potential claim, you should speak to a specialist us. If it can be proven that your break or fracture was misdiagnosed or missed by hospital staff, you may be able to pursue a claim for compensation.

Claiming compensation with First Personal Injury

Contact First Personal Injury today to discuss your claim on 0333 358 2345 or, alternatively, fill out our online form.