Background: Our client approached us to investigate the tragic death of his wife at Hull Royal Infirmary in May 2021. Despite a prior PALS complaint, the family felt many questions remained unanswered and sought closure.

Incident: On the morning of May 14, 2021, the deceased, a healthy 40-year-old, collapsed at home. An ambulance promptly took her to Hull Royal Infirmary. Initially diagnosed with potential seizures or intracranial injury, the deceased experienced chest pain and persistent tachycardia. She suffered multiple collapses in hospital.  A CT scan was ordered, then cancelled without explanation.  Her condition worsened and, tragically, the deceased suffered cardiac arrest and did not survive.

Investigation: A post-mortem revealed the deceased died from a pulmonary embolism and right-sided deep vein thrombosis. We obtained expert evidence and sent a Letter of Claim to the Trust, alleging that a pulmonary embolism should have been considered and treated promptly.

Outcome: The Trust admitted their failures and acknowledged that the deceased’s death could have been prevented had they not failed in their duty of care. They provided a Letter of Apology to her husband and his family.  A six figure damages settlement was agreed with the Trust, ensuring some measure of justice for the deceased’s untimely death.

Our client had the following to say about our service:-

“Words fail me to describe how incredible you have been. You made the whole process easier than it would have been and that’s testament to your professionalism and humility, bearing in mind I was dealing with the most painful situation in my life.

The outcome of the whole process is testament to the knowledge and expertise of the team.  As a family we have always believed that there was a case to answer, and the team managed to tell our story and highlight our concerns better than we could have done without them on our side.

I think no stone was left unturned.  Everything was clearly explained to me from beginning to end.  The flow of information was well managed.  I never felt overwhelmed at any stage.  I felt very much supported during the process.  I couldn’t have asked for more.  Your commitment was unquestionable.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone involved.  You’ve helped bring closure to one of the darkest parts of our lives.  It has not been easy coming to grips with the loss that we suffered as a family.  A special mention to Emma White who has been the driving force of the whole process.”