The plaintiff suffered a wrist fracture and attended the emergency room, where she was assessed by the defendant physician.
The physician discharged the plaintiff to follow up with her family health clinic but failed to provide adequate verbal instructions regarding the need to see an orthopedic surgeon within 7-10 days, nor did he document this timeframe in his chart.
The plaintiff experienced a delayed referral to an orthopedic surgeon, resulting in the fracture healing in a malposition that required surgery.
The court found that the defendant physician breached the standard of care by failing to provide and document adequate discharge instructions, and that this breach caused the plaintiff's poor outcome.
Judgment was issued in favour of the plaintiffs for an agreed-upon amount of damages.
