§ PUBLISHED JUDGMENT · 2021

Aderounmu v Colvin

[2021] EWHC 2293 (QB)·High Court (Queen's Bench Division)·20 August 2021

A young man saw his GP with slurred, very unclear speech and suffered a stroke four days later, but did not sue until 2017. The court found he had the mental capacity to bring a claim and had known enough by December 2010, yet allowed the late claim to go ahead.

Outcome

Claimant succeeded

Sum stated in judgment

Not stated

Claim type

GP Negligence

Decided

Liability decided at trial

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§ WHAT HAPPENED

The facts, in brief.

Defendant: A general practitioner

Injury: Stroke with right-sided weakness and lasting difficulty with spoken and written language

Specialty: General practice · England

§ WHAT THE COURT SAID

In the judgment’s own words.

“I am particularly satisfied that it will be possible to have a fair trial of the issues arising in this claim. In the circumstances I find that it would be equitable to allow this action to proceed.”

The money

No damages figure appears; this was a preliminary trial of capacity and limitation.

§ WHY IT MATTERS

What this case shows.

Arguing that a brain injury left you unable to run a claim will be tested hard against your medical records and everyday dealings. Even so, a claim brought years late can survive if the records mean a fair trial is still possible.

About gp negligence claims →

§ MORE GP NEGLIGENCE JUDGMENTS

Claimant succeeded

Shaheen & Anor v Dr Joanna Daish

[2025] EWHC 3056 (KB)·2025·Liability decided at trial

A 49-year-old man saw his GP with breathlessness and a persistent cough; the GP ordered a chest X-ray on the computer system but the judge found she never told him to go to the walk-in radiology department. The court held he would have attended if told and was not himself at fault.

Ordering a test is not enough; the patient must be told clearly what to do. Courts are slow to blame patients for not chasing a test they did not know had been requested.

Claimant succeeded

Philipa Hodgson v Dr Daniel Hammond & Anor

[2025] EWHC 1261 (KB)·2025·Liability decided at trial

Ms Hodgson saw a locum GP who suspected pelvic inflammatory disease but did not examine her or arrange urgent follow-up, and a second GP reviewing her blood results by telephone did not refer her for examination. The delay in treatment led to an abscess, removal of a fallopian tube and chronic pelvic pain.

When a GP suspects a serious infection, the court expects an examination or urgent referral to rule it out, and a telephone review of test results does not replace that. Both GPs were held liable, with damages to be decided separately.

Claimant succeeded

Gurmukh Gahir v Dr Ayodele Olusgun Ola

[2024] EWHC 390 (KB)·2024·Liability decided at trial

Mr Gahir went to his GP with fever, severe headache, nausea and confusion; the GP diagnosed migraine, and he was not admitted to hospital until 55 hours later, when herpes simplex encephalitis was treated with acyclovir. The judge found the combination of fever, headache and confusion required urgent hospital referral and that earlier treatment would have left him far less disabled.

Fever, headache and confusion together are a recognised red flag for brain infection, and a GP who attributes them to migraine without arranging urgent admission may be found negligent. The judge accepted the family's account of the patient's confusion during the consultation.

All gp negligence judgments →

Contains information licensed under the Open Justice - Licence v2.0. Judgments from Find Case Law, The National Archives. Summaries are ours; amounts only where printed in the judgment.

This guide is general information about the law in England and Wales, not legal advice about your case. ClaimGavel is run by Costart Projects Ltd on behalf of Tomlin & Partners, a specialist medical negligence firm regulated by the SRA. The free assessment on this page is an AI overview to show you roughly where you stand; a solicitor confirms the position in a free, no-obligation conversation.