The plaintiffs brought a medical negligence action following the death of their family member from a delayed splenic rupture two weeks after a fall.
The deceased had been treated by the defendant surgeon at the hospital and subsequently cleared to return to work by the defendant family doctor.
The court found that neither doctor breached the standard of care, as objective evidence at the time did not indicate a splenic injury.
The court also concluded that the plaintiffs failed to prove causation, finding it likely that an intervening trauma caused the fatal rupture.
The action was dismissed.
