Misdiagnosed broken neck victim receives compensation

A car crash victim whose broken neck was misdiagnosed as whiplash has received a cash settlement in compensation from Coventry's University Hospital.
 
43-year-old Gary Rickard was left with a broken neck for nearly five months after doctors missed a fracture during a series of examinations and discharged him, the Coventry Telegraph has reported.
 
When his injury was eventually identified, he required three operations in order to fix his neck, which had begun to fuse to itself.
 
After three years, Mr Rickard still experiences pins and needles, the restrictive use of his right hand and has been unable to return to his job.
 
His compensation claim was for the pain, discomfort and loss of earnings caused by the delay and did not allege the infliction of additional injuries except those caused by his initial accident.
 
"What really upsets me is that I've still had no apology. I'll keep fighting for that," he said.
 
In other news, 17-year-old Laura May has received an estimated £3 million payout following an accident caused by medical negligence that left her paralysed from the chest down.
 
Published by Phil Hammond