Flekkefjord, Norway — Five years after a botched operation left him permanently disabled, 58-year-old Jimmy Robinson from Flekkefjord is suing the Norwegian state.
Five years after a botched operation left him permanently disabled, 58-year-old Jimmy Robinson
His lawsuit for what he refers to as a ruined life is seeking NOK 5.1 million in compensation. But when he is first tried in Lister District Court on September 30, Robinson will be left standing — alone without legal representation.
“I am a mutilated human, if I lose I’m going to be a debt slave for the rest of my life,” Robinson stated. “I can’t live with myself if I don’t fight this fight. At least I’ll understand that I tried.
But I’m terrified.” From Surgery To Pain for a Lifetime. Robinson’s ordeal began when he came to the Sørlandet Hospital Flekkefjord complaining of a crushed heel.
During surgery, an orthopedic surgeon made crucial mistakes, a fact later confirmed by the County Governor as well as the Norwegian System of Patient Injury Compensation (NPE).
Police investigated the same surgeon and temporarily suspended him, but he had subsequently resumed his job.
Robinson, though, still lives with persistent pain, uses crutches and a wheelchair, and says he can no longer work in his workshop or hang with his grandchildren.
“My knee and hip are failing because of how I limp. Most of the time, I’m confined to the sofa,” he said. Compensation Dispute.
NPE awarded Robinson NOK 155,000 in compensation but determined that he was not eligible for permanent disability compensation.
“The money barely covers the special shoes that I need,” he said. Robinson appealed this decision to the Patient Injury Compensation Board which declined to grant award.
His last resort is to sue the state directly. He demands NOK 5.1 million for his pain and suffering, psychological distress and loss of income, in addition to damages from home and car adaptations.
Standing Alone in Court. Robinson also had a lawyer, Jan Inge Thesen, who takes on medical injury suits.
Thesen affirms that the initial claim was set at NOK 5.1 million. “He was severely injured in the operation and has terrible pain, it’s ruined him being able to work and prepare for future,” Thesen said. But Robinson had no longer been able to pay for legal representation.
“Half of the small compensation I received, I’ve already thrown away on legal fees,” he said. Now, he is forced to battle the state’s own defense team alone.
“It’s unjust that I, the malpractice victim, should pay for a lawyer when the state has the Oil Fund,” Robinson said. Settlement Offer Rejected. Just recently, Robinson got an email promising a settlement:
The state offered to pay him just over NOK 250,000 and to eliminate requests for costs in court if he dropped the lawsuit.
But Robinson refused. “Sometimes I think I should give up only. But when I sit here — mutilated and in pain — I know I cannot move away from this fight.” Legal Battle Ahead.
Robinson’s request was that the case be moved to Kristiansand District Court, saying that judges in Lister might not be impartial because of local links to Flekkefjord Hospital.
The request was rejected, and the case will take place in Farsund. “The court does not give cause to doubt the impartiality of the judges,” the ruling said. For Robinson, the trial is both a last hope for justice — and a desperate threat of financial destruction.