Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 16 OCTOBER 2026

Can Cauda Equina Be Missed On An MRI?

JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Contributor
JMW Solicitors LLP

JMW Solicitors LLP

JMW Solicitors LLP is a top 100, full-service law firm providing legal services and advice for both...

View firm profile
Explore more from JMW Solicitors LLP

Magnetic resonance imaging is essential for diagnosing cauda equina syndrome, but compression can still be missed even when scans are performed. Understanding how MRI findings can be misinterpreted or underestimated, and when this constitutes medical negligence, is crucial for patients who have experienced diagnostic delays.

United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Nicholas Young
Nicholas Young

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the main imaging test used when doctors suspect a case of cauda equina syndrome (CES); however, even then there are circumstances where the right diagnosis may still be missed.

There are two main ways this can happen. Cauda equina compression may be present but missed when the MRI is reported, or the compression may be identified but its significance underestimated.

In either situation, the question in a medical negligence claim is not simply whether an MRI was carried out. It is whether the scan was interpreted correctly, whether the MRI findings were considered alongside the patient’s symptoms and whether doctors acted on the results when they should have done.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Game Developer And Publisher Battle Over Step In Rights

A High Court ruling examines a contentious dispute between a video game developer and publisher over milestone-based funding and "step in" rights for the first-person shooter Six Days in Fallujah. With over $50 million in development costs at stake and allegations of conspiracy to acquire proprietary source code, the court declined to grant either party interim control of the game's development, leaving both sides without the "keys to the kingdom" pending a full trial.
United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
Article

Meta's $18 Billion Settlement: Reckoning Or Managed Exit?

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to settle claims by 52 US state and territory attorneys general in the largest state consumer-protection settlement in American history outside tobacco. The settlement imposes binding child-safety obligations including time limits and age assurance, but leaves the core algorithmic feed unchanged and raises questions about whether this represents genuine accountability or a commercially managed outcome.
United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Article

LNG Charterparty Hire Formula: Meaning Of JKM–TTF Pricing Spread

The Commercial Court ruled on a USD 29 million dispute over an LNG carrier charterparty's index-linked pricing formula, determining whether the "JKM-TTF spread" operated bidirectionally or only when JKM exceeded TTF. The decision examines how unprecedented market conditions—where European gas prices surged above Asian prices due to the Ukraine war—tested the contractual formula's application and whether rectification could remedy an alleged drafting oversight.
European UnionLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
CMS Wistrand
CMS Wistrand
Video

One-Punch Manslaughter – When A Single Blow Kills (Video)

A split-second decision can change lives forever. In one-punch manslaughter cases, a single impulsive blow, perhaps thrown in anger, fear or misguided bravado, leads to a tragic death. These ‘death by a single punch’ incidents are more common in the UK than many realise. Dozens of families every year are left devastated, with one family grieving an unimaginable loss, and another family shocked and fearful as their loved one faces a homicide investigation for an outcome no one intended. It’s a tragic reality, one moment of anger, one fatal assault involving a single blow, and two lives (and families) ruined.
United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Olliers Solicitors
Olliers Solicitors
Article

What Does Section 172 Of The Road Traffic Act 1988 Mean For Drivers?

When police issue a Section 172 notice requiring you to identify who was driving your vehicle during an alleged traffic offence, failing to respond correctly can result in six penalty points, unlimited fines and possible disqualification. Understanding your legal obligations, available defences and the consequences of non-compliance is essential to protecting your driving licence and avoiding a criminal conviction.
United KingdomCriminal Law
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

How Do You Complete A Section 172 Notice Form Correctly?

Understanding how to respond to a Section 172 notice is crucial for anyone involved in an alleged road traffic offence. This comprehensive guide explains the legal requirements for identifying the driver, the information you must provide, and the serious consequences of failing to comply correctly. Learn what steps to take if you cannot identify who was driving and when you should seek legal advice to protect your position.
United KingdomCriminal Law
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

What Are The Exceptional Hardship Sentencing Guidelines?

Accumulating 12 or more penalty points on your driving licence typically triggers an automatic disqualification, but the law provides a potential avenue for relief through exceptional hardship arguments. Understanding how these sentencing guidelines work and what evidence the courts require can make the difference between keeping your licence and facing a driving ban that could profoundly impact your employment, family responsibilities and daily life.
United KingdomCriminal Law
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

Gaslighting In Relationships And How It May Form Part Of Coercive Control

Gaslighting can undermine your sense of reality and form part of coercive control in relationships. This guide explains how gaslighting works as psychological manipulation, when it may constitute emotional abuse or coercive control under UK law, and what legal protections are available through family courts when dealing with narcissistic behaviour during relationships and separation.
United KingdomFamily and Matrimonial
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

What Are The Sentencing Guidelines For Speeding?

Speeding offences in England and Wales carry penalties ranging from fixed penalty notices to driving bans and custodial sentences, depending on severity. The Magistrates' Court uses specific sentencing guidelines that categorise offences into bands based on how much the speed limit was exceeded. Understanding these guidelines, available defences, and mitigating circumstances can help motorists protect their driving licences and minimise penalties.
United KingdomCriminal Law
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

What A Drink Driving Conviction Means For Your Record

A drink driving conviction creates both a criminal record and a driving record endorsement, each with different retention periods and disclosure requirements. Understanding when convictions become spent, how long endorsements remain visible, and what must be disclosed to employers, insurers and overseas authorities is essential for managing the long-term consequences of a drink driving offence.
United KingdomCriminal Law
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

Aesthetics Regulation In 2026: An Increasingly Complex Regulatory Landscape

The regulation of non-surgical aesthetics in England is approaching an important turning point. Although there is not yet a comprehensive statutory licensing regime, aesthetics businesses and regulated healthcare professionals already operate within a complex framework of professional, medicines, and product regulation. Further regulation is also being developed specifically for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
United KingdomFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP
Article

SRA AI Warning Notice: What Solicitors And Law Firms Need To Do Now

The SRA’s new warning notice on the misuse of artificial intelligence is not really about some distant future. It is about what is already happening in legal practice. AI tools are being used to summarise documents, draft letters, assist with legal research, prepare chronologies and make routine work quicker. Used sensibly, they can be genuinely helpful. Used carelessly, they can create serious regulatory problems.
United KingdomTechnology
JMW Solicitors LLP
JMW Solicitors LLP