Woman demands justice after horse-riding incident leads to unexpected amputation
A mis-handled medical case at Cornwall hospital resulted in a leg amputation for a 48-year-old woman. The patient now seeks compensation while dealing with life-changing aftermath of what she claims was preventable
Rachel Rutherford faces a £300‚000 legal battle with Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust about 4 years after a horse-riding mishap turned into a life-changing event
The 48-year old patientʼs ordeal started when she got knocked into a fence by an out-of-control horse (which crushed her leg and knee). After the initial five-hour long operation consultant Jon Matthews removed bone pieces and put in metal supports; however things went downhill from there
Medical staff didnt follow the doctors orders to watch for compartment syndrome - a serious muscle-pressure condition that needs quick action. Despite having multiple operations including a nine-hour procedure the next day her pain didnt stop even with strong pain-killers
I went from being independent to reliant on others. Iʼve had to adapt and even relearn basic tasks many people take for granted
The hospitals mistakes led to these problems:
- Severe phantom limb pain
- Need for anti-depressants
- Limited mobility issues
- Ongoing physio needs
While the NHS Trust admits they failed to do emergency surgery for leg pressure they dont accept responsibility for the final amputation. Rachel now uses a prosthetic leg but can only walk short distances - her previous active lifestyle of long hikes and animal care work is now just a memory; she needs help with day-to-day tasks
The legal team at Irwin Mitchell points out that if proper care was given during the first surgery the whole situation could have been avoided. They want the Trust to resolve this case so their client can focus on getting back some normalcy in her daily routine
