A MAN who injured his wrist while playing soccer was awarded £75,000 damages yesterday. The High Court found that a hospital casualty officer failed to detect that the player had fractured his wrist.
Mr Paul Roper, of Grange, Co Sligo, took the action against the North Western Health Board. Mr Justice Flood said he believed the casualty officer was guilty of a want of care. Awarding damages, he said special damages would be discussed later. Mr Roper, after his injuries, could not continue as an apprentice carpenter.
On November 5th, 1989, Mr Roper, now 26, was goalkeeper in a soccer match when he injured his right wrist. The injury was treated by the casualty registrar in the out patients department of the health board's hospital the next day and again on November 16th, 1989.
In evidence, Mr Roper had said his "right wrist was pushed back". He felt a loss of power in his hand and wrist and very severe pain.
At the hospital the next day, he was X rayed. On the result of the X ray, the casualty registrar said he had a sprained wrist. He bandaged him and told him to come back in 10 days.
During the 10 days, he suffered very severe pain - his wrist went black and blue and, ultimately, yellow. On November 16th, he returned to the out patient department and saw the same registrar, who carried out a clinical examination and advised Mr Roper that there was no bone injury and that he had a sprained wrist.
The registrar told him it would get better in time and discharged him, advising him to resume work.
Mr Roper returned to work as an apprentice carpenter but found this aggravated the wrist pain. After a few days, he left work and remained out for some three months.
On December 21st, 1990, he hurt the knuckle of his right hand in horseplay with his brother Again, he was referred to the outpatients department. He was Xrayed and sent home.
Later that day, his mother received a telephone call from the hospital requesting him to return. His wrist was X rayed again on December 23rd and a definitive fracture of a scaphoid bone was noted. It was also noted there were signs of healing. His wrist was put in plaster for three months.
Mr Justice Flood said Mr Roper was a very credible witness. His expert medical witnesses led him to the conclusion that the fracture was present on November 6th, 1989, and this was the cause of Mr Roper's suffering.
The evidence of two doctors was that the treatment given to Mr Roper on the first occasion was appropriate in itself. Unfortunately, the X ray instruction was less than satisfactory.
He said the pain continued in Mr Roper's wrist until it was set in January 1991. From then until the early autumn, he had his arm in plaster. He could not continue as a carpenter and also had to give up sports. He would also suffer some discomfort for the rest of his life, although it did not appear to have affected his capacity to get alternative employment.
He would assess general damages at £25,000 loss of future earning capacity at £25,000; and general damages for future suffering and a reduction of job opportunity at £25,000.