Aine Tyrrell of O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors was instructed to pursue a claim on behalf of a client who had undergone surgery for a bowel condition at Belfast City Hospital in 2018. This was a complex procedure, during which the Plaintiff was left in a lithotomy position for nine hours. Essentially this meant that he was left lying in a position where his legs where raised above his heart. After the surgery he was diagnosed with compartment syndrome affecting his right leg. He required surgery to decompress his right lateral peroneal compartment. He developed a foot drop and initially had to use a splint. He developed nerve damage and was left with a significant scar on his right lower leg.
Liability evidence was obtained which indicated that during a surgery of this length, the table the patient was lying on ought to have been reversed after four hours so that the legs were lower than the heart for a period of 15 minutes to allow appropriate perfusion.
The case was originally handled by another firm of solicitors and was transferred to O’Reilly Stewart in March 2025. Medical reports were obtained from both a plastic surgeon and a psychiatrist and settlement negotiations were arranged. The case was resolved in the sum of £100,000 plus costs.
The client said –
“I was glad to have Aine represent me in this case. Not only is she an experienced Solicitor with a formidable record of representing clients best interests; her ability to provide sage advice on realistic outcomes meant I was able to consider my options, without relying on risk and guesswork.”
