Case Study

Elizabeth Larner, head of the Clinical Negligence Team, has reached a settlement on behalf of the family of a gentleman who was admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt. Once his physical recovery was complete, he was discharged to a care home which (it was alleged) was not equipped to manage his ongoing mental health crisis.

After only a short spell in the home, when he was placed in a first floor room, the gentleman was able to access the roof of the property via his bedroom, which did not have a restrictor on it. From there he was able to make a further suicide attempt, falling a significant distance to the ground. The injuries he sustained were significant, meaning that after a long recovery, he was no longer able to do many of the things that he once did.

Following the incident, the home in question was reported to the Care Quality Commission, who successfully instituted a prosecution for Health and Safety failures.

Elizabeth Larner said “I was pleased to assist the gentleman and his family to a successful resolution in this very distressing case which, they hope, will have preserved the safety of the future residents of the Home concerned”.

The gentleman’s attorney, who dealt with the claim on his behalf, said as follows

“You and the team at Wollens always acted in his best interests and were sensitive to his ongoing vulnerability. You were persistent, professional and pursued the case to a satisfactory conclusion with good level of communication throughout”.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this case study and want to find out if you have a claim, please do not hesitate to contact one of the Clinical Negligence Team at Wollens.

Speak to Elizabeth Larner

Elizabeth is a Partner at Wollens and can advise you. Contact Elizabeth via email Elizabeth.Larner@wollens.co.uk or call 01803 225135.

You can also complete an online enquiry form. One of the Wollens team will contact you as soon as they are available.