Giant Cell Arteritis Claims

Mrs Rayes was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica in November 2017 by her GP and the symptoms were successfully controlled with steroid treatment.

At the point of diagnosis Mrs Rayes was not given any information or advice, orally or in writing, regarding her enhanced risk of developing Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) or the need for prompt treatment should GCA symptoms arise due to the potential risk of serious complications, including vision loss.

In February 2019, Mrs Rayes became very unwell with new onset neck and head pain. She had two appointments with GPs reporting increasing pain and generalised illness, but no connection between her known PMR and potential GCA symptoms was made by the treating GPs and she was advised to take paracetamol and wait for a routine appointment she had booked with her named GP 10 days later.

By the time of this routine appointment, Mrs Rayes was feeling even more awful, and she had begun to experience visual disturbance, she could not really see at all in one eye. Mrs Rayes’s usual GP suspected GCA and sought advice from Ophthalmology services. They advised that steroid treatment be started immediately, and that Mrs Rayes should present at eye casualty the following day.

Mrs Rayes and her husband were not advised that GCA was suspected or that she was at risk of permanent vision loss. By the time Mrs Rayes was seen at the hospital her sight had deteriorated even further before stabilising with treatment.

Mrs Rayes lost the sight in her left eye and has only very partial sight in her right eye, to the point of functional blindness. Almost overnight she went from being a self-caring and independent woman, still driving and busy with volunteer work, to being completely reliant on Mr Rayes and the rest of her family to care for her and assist with day-to-day activities.

Mrs Rayes’s family recognised that her dignity and health were dependent on her being able to stay in her own home, where she and her husband have lived for over 60 years, into the future, as outside of this familiar environment she is not independent. This was the primary reason for Mrs Rayes wanting to bring a claim for compensation.

Over the course of a 5-year period we fought hard to obtain compensation for Mrs Rayes. In that time we developed a relationship with Mrs Rayes and her whole family, visiting her at home on a number of occasions to ensure that she understood each step of the process. We were ultimately able to successfully negotiate a six-figure settlement for Mrs Rayes which will go some way to enabling her to regain some independence and ensure she is able to access the equipment and the care she will need to stay in her own home into the future. Mrs Rayes and her family were very pleased with the outcome we achieved.

“My family were very happy with the service provided by Freeths. Katie Shaw and Lucy Habgood went out of their way to provide my family with a personalised service, helping us to understand all the various stages involved in bringing a case to fruition. 

We are very pleased with the outcome of Mum’s case and the service they provided to us.

This money will make a real difference to Mum and Dad at this stage of their lives, and it has provided Dad with some peace of mind that Mum will be well taken care of should anything happen to him. Mum is already making plans to visit me in London and even has Addison Lee saved in her contacts!

Thank you both so much for providing not just a highly professional service but also one with a more personal touch.”

*please note that Mrs Rayes’ name has been changed in the interests of maintaining her privacy.