NHS tells amputee: One leg is better than two!
As Army veteran sues for £1.5m over his lost limb...
A FITNESS instructor suing medics after negligence led to the amputation of his leg has been told by NHs lawyers that the op left him better off.
Former Army captain stuart Croxford, 34, is demanding £1.5million in damages for the loss of his right leg following a yachting accident.
He had already been left in constant pain from severe foot and ankle injuries caused by a bomb attack in Afghanistan in 2012, but battled back and learned to walk again before disaster struck at a charity yacht race off the isle of Wight.
Mr Croxford, who now runs a fitness business in London with his wife, says the amputation would not have been necessary if there hadn’t been a needless delay in providing appropriate treatment after the yachting accident.
Lawyers for the isle of Wight NHs Trust admit a ‘negligent delay’ in operating, but claim amputation of the leg was inevitable due to the lingering effects of his war injury.
in documents filed with Central London County Court, they say Mr Croxford benefited from losing his leg because he is now free of the worst of the pain caused by the bomb damage.
The ex- soldier, from Fulham, west London, was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in December 2012. He received ‘ complex lower limb injuries’ and was in hospital for months. it was more than a year and a half before he could walk without aid.
The second tragedy struck in August 2014 during a yachting event for injured servicemen. A rope caught around his leg, causing severe damage.
He was taken to st Mary’s Hospital in Newport on the isle of Wight for an operation. After this, he suffered a dangerous build-up of pressure in the muscle compartments in his leg.
He was operated on again to remove damaged muscle, but eventually had a below-knee amputation that october.
The NHs accepts that there was a ‘ negligent failure’ to operate promptly to release the pressure in Mr Croxford’s leg, which would have avoided amputation. However, lawyers say the drastic surgery was inevitable following the Afghanistan barrister ‘His current Aidan levels incident. o’Brien of comfort added: NHs and function appear significantly improved... he is relieved of his intractable preexisting pain and is able to lead a more active life. He is therefore in a better functional position than he would have been but for the amputation.’ Before the yacht accident, Mr Croxford could only walk for 750 metres before resting and struggled to stand for long periods. since losing his leg he has learned to run on a blade, begun skiing and cycling, taken part in triathlons, and is free of the worst of his pain. However, his barrister Dr peter ellis said: ‘ He suffers from pain and swelling in the stump, regularly requires up to seven days resting at home without wearing his prosthesis to recover, he suffers from back pain, needs an adapted car, is unable to perform heavy domestic tasks and DiY. With ageing... he will become increasingly wheelchair-bound.’