Elizabeth Francis settles cancer claim for £1 million against plastic surgeon
Cancer claim negotiated by Elizabeth Francis settles for £1 million

Elizabeth Francis was instructed on behalf of the wife of a prominent Nigerian accountant who tragically passed away following the progression of an ulcerating squamous cell carcinoma on his arm. The deceased had sought treatment from a private cosmetic surgery clinic in the UK for a wound on his arm, at the site of a childhood burn injury, which would not heal. The plastic surgeon failed to take a biopsy from the site, and instead proceeded to perform skin graft surgery, which never healed. Once a correct diagnosis was eventually obtained the deceased underwent amputation of his arm but the cancer spread to his lungs and despite chemotherapy treatment the deceased sadly passed away.
The deceased was still young, working full time in Nigeria in a high profile company and providing substantial income via monetary transfers to his family consisting of his wife, a UK citizen, and his two young children, who resided with his wife in the UK, with plans to rejoin his family in the UK within a few years.
Although limited admissions of breach of duty were made, the Defendant surgeon pursued allegations of contributory negligence, likely marriage breakdown, and likely amputation in any event and strongly disputed the nature and value of the family’s financial dependency on the deceased. Extensive negotiations took place, including a joint settlement meeting, before the claim was finally settled for £1,000,000 in compensation.