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Anne Osborn - Medical negligence solicitor
Bristol senior medical negligence solicitor
Anne is a solicitor who has specialised in clinical or medical negligence compensation claims for over 10 years. She is based in our Bristol office and handles compensation claims for clients throughout the southwest region.
Anne is a valued member of the South West Serious Injuries Unit (SIU), and specialises in all injuries resulting from clinical negligence. These have included cases involving serious injuries such as spinal and brain injury, birth damage, misdiagnosed cancer, surgical errors and fatal claims involving adults and children.
Anne has earned the respect of her peers and clients alike for demonstrating excellent client care & empathy, plus tenacity in the face of adversity. She will not give up, and will leave no stone unturned in order to secure the best outcome for her client. Anne has worked on a number of high profile cerebral palsy cases for the firm.
Two cases in particular involved babies who suffered birth asphyxia, resulting in cerebral palsy. The cases were widely reported in the media when they and their families received substantial medical negligence compensation, due in no small part to the initial work done by Anne.
Complex cases such as these often require several years of legal work whilst the clinical or medical details are examined, and expert medical evidence is obtained regarding the future prognosis of the victims. Anne had dedicated several years to both of these clients before being in a position to issue cases before the courts, and then handing them over to colleagues at her temporary departure. One of these was also used as tutorial experience at an internal training week.
Anne, a Bristol solicitor, has been a member of the Law Society's Clinical Negligence Panel since 2001. Clinical negligence is a highly specialised area of personal injury law, hence the Law Society's individual accreditation scheme for it. No other area of the personal injury legal system has it's own specialist accreditation scheme and given that there are only a small number of members on the Clinical Negligence Panel the appointment is hard fought and highly sought after.
Anne, who represents clients throughout the South West, is also dedicated to working with many support organisations that are in line with her medical negligence expertise. She is an accredited member of the Spinal Injuries Association and will shortly become a member of
Headway and has been a strong supporter of Scope (the leading charity for those suffering Cerebral Palsy) for the last 4 years.
Successful medical negligence compensation claims
Here is just a small sample of the range of medical negligence compensation claims that Anne has successfully concluded.
Medical negligence compensation claim - Failing to diagnose a retinal detachment
Anne’s client in this case of misdiagnosis was a man in this 30’s who was suffering from a detached retina. For over two years, the problems he was experiencing with failing sight were attributed to other, totally unrelated medical conditions. Despite visits to his optician, his doctor, and referrals to specialists, his true condition remained undiagnosed until he returned to his optician because of concerns over his deteriorating sight and the occurrence of purple flashes in one eye.
At this point, he was referred to a Consultant Ophthalmologist and eventually diagnosed as having a detached retina in several places. Due to the time that had elapsed since the problem arose (speed of treatment for such conditions is vital) his sight could not be restored, although two operations prevented further deterioration.
However, he has been left virtually blind, is unable to read or watch T.V., and has difficulty recognising people.
Anne brought this claim for medical negligence compensation against both his optician (who had failed to identify the detached retina during examinations), and the Consultants at the Neurological Centre who had attributed his problems to his existing medical condition without carrying out more detailed assessment of his new symptoms.
Initially it was thought that her client’s claim was outside the statutory period of limitation. However, Anne was able to secure substantial medical negligence compensation for her client on the basis that he was unaware of the problem for more than two years, and that the trigger for time limit in bringing a claim for compensation should commence at the date of knowledge, rather than the date at which the injury occurred.
Medical negligence compensation claim - Misdiagnosis of malignant skin cancer
This client asked Anne to represent her in bringing a claim for medical negligence compensation following the death of her husband as a result of cancer misdiagnosis. Her husband had sought the advice of his GP on a number of occasions complaining about a mole. The GP removed the mole, which he had misdiagnosed as a benign lesion. The GP then failed to send it for histology.
When her husband visited the GP again some months later, it was found that the lesion was a malignant melanoma that had metastasized (spread). At this point, her husband was immediately referred to hospital under the two-week cancer referral rule. However, it was now too late and a biopsy confirmed that he had terminal cancer, secondary to the malignant mole. Anne’s client tragically lost her husband only a few months after this devastating diagnosis.
Anne fought this claim for medical negligence compensation on the grounds that had her client's husband been referred to the hospital under the two-week rule when he had first visited his GP about the mole, he would have undergone a wider excision of the lesion, which would have prevented the spread of the melanoma.
Anne further argued that had the GP still removed the mole himself, but sent it for histology, which is mandatory, its true nature would have been confirmed and early treatment could have begun. In either of these situations, her client’s husband would have been cured and would have significantly increased his life expectancy. The medical negligence compensation received has given the family some security for the future, with a significant sum being invested in a Trust for the children.
Medical negligence compensation claim - Failure of provision of care
Anne represented the deceased’s family in this tragic fatal accident case. An elderly lady, being treated in a community mental health unit, suffered a fatal injury in an accident because of failures in providing that care.
Assessed as high risk, the Trust responsible for her care had determined that she needed “one to one” observations at all times. Although a rota was drawn up and their standard protocol required that no staff member could relinquish their duties without another staff member taking over, the deceased was left unsupervised for a period of time. She was later found unconscious with a serious head injury, and taken to hospital. Sadly, she died without ever regaining consciousness.
An Inquest was held at which the Coroner determined that her death had been due to the Hospital’s failure to provide adequate care for such a vulnerable patient. Although protocols were in place that should have protected her, there was a systemic failure to ensure those protocols were followed, and other patients may also be at risk.
The Trust had denied liability until the decision of the Inquest, but within a few days of the decision, they accepted liability and causation, and Anne was able to secure medical negligence compensation for her client.
Client comments
Just one example of the many expressions of thanks submitted by clients for whom Anne has successfully fought for compensation.
“Hi Anne, I would just like to say a very big thank you, you were a great support to me through the most difficult part of my life. So thank you for all your help and support”.
Recipient of medical negligence compensation
Making a medical negligence compensation claim
Telephone us now on 0800 783 9019 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms, and a representative will contact you as soon as possible. Please go to our Costs and Risks section for information on how Clear Answers will handle your claim and funding.
Alternative funding arrangements may apply in Northern Ireland due to differing procedures and Law Society regulations.
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