Paralysed teenager brings successful medical negligence claim
September 02, 2011
Posted by:Ruth Hewitt
A teenager who became paralysed from the waist down has received compensation.
The case of Sophie Tyler has been widely reported this week. Sophie is a 17 year old girl who was left paralysed when a spinal anaesthetic was wrongly left in place for 2 days. The epidural infusion was administered in 2008 whilst Sophie was being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for a gall stone operation.
A day after the operation Sophie complained of numbness in one leg, and this gradually spread to both legs and her feet.
Unfortunately, a later MRI scan showed that the anaesthetic had entered her spinal cord, and had caused permanent damage.
Sophie has spoken to the BBC of the trauma of being told at the age of 14 that she would never be able to walk again. However, she is determined to study hard for her A-levels and to go to university.
In cases involving serious injuries such as paralysis, the compensation paid to victims of medical negligence is invaluable. Sophie has said that she can look at using the money to live independently and to go to university.