Damaged ear and hearing loss results in payout
A young boy has received compensation after his eardrum was perforated
Posted on 15 March 2010
Suzanne White, solicitor in the clinical negligence department, has settled a claim on behalf of a young client whose ear drum was perforated after attending the accident and emergency department at Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
Our client attended the A&E department at the hospital in October 2005 for the removal of a foreign object, a watch battery, from his right ear. Two attempts were made to remove the battery neither of which was successful, and caused the perforation of our client’s ear drum. The battery became deeply embedded in his ear which was bleeding and the decision was taken to remove the battery under a general anaesthetic.
The operation was carried out later the same day and the battery removed. However, our client was left with a perforated eardrum and subsequent appointments noted that he had become deaf in that ear; he will require further surgery to repair the ear drum. Our client has had to be prescribed with a hearing aid which he has found embarrassing and awkward at school.
Suzanne has now settled his claim for compensation which includes provision for a hearing aid and radio aid, and there has been an apology from the hospital. She said:
“Sadly, my client’s injury could have been avoided if the appropriate doctor had been called at first instance when he attended Casualty, as result my client is deaf in one ear".
For more information please contact Suzanne White on 020 7650 1200.
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