Jono’s Story: How a serious infection misdiagnosed as a muscle strain changed my life

Jono Battle is a ‘horse whisperer’ – a true blue country bloke with an affinity for horses who spent all his life working outdoors.

That is until a hospital failed to pick up an infection, which quickly became life-threatening and changed Jono’s life forever.

Jono had always worked with horses. He’s been a trainer, a musterer, and a farrier, and more recently, he was qualified as an Emmett practitioner to treat pain and injury in horses using light touch targeting specific muscles.

In 2021, Jono was at a camp drafting event when he felt what he described as a ‘pop’ in his thigh. Being an experienced horseman used to the injuries that come with participating in horse events, he didn’t think too much of it at the time.

A few days later, Jono became very unwell and could barely make it out of bed. He was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a soft tissue injury and sent home.

Jono’s condition continued to worsen, and later that same night, he went back to hospital, but again, he was sent home.

Jono knew right from his first hospital trip that something was wrong

He was a fit young man, and he had experienced injuries in the past. This felt different – he knew he was very unwell but trusted the advice doctors were giving him that his injury was a simple strain.

By the evening of the next day, Jono was so unwell that he was again transported by ambulance to the hospital, and finally, doctors identified what they had missed twice – a serious flesh-eating infection.

The failure to pick up the infection earlier meant that Jono was now facing a medical emergency requiring medical evacuation and urgent treatment.

To save his leg, Jono required multiple procedures to remove dead tissue and ended up with damage so extensive that the surgeon had to perform reconstructive surgery with tissue taken from Jono’s left thigh.

The failure to identify and treat the infection earlier has left Jono with significant scarring, ongoing pain and restricted movement in his right leg.  

Jono’s life now is drastically different. He has had to sell his property and some of his beloved horses. The few horses he still owns are now kept on other properties because he can no longer care for them as he once could.

These physical injuries have also taken a heavy toll on Jono’s mental state. The disfigurement, pain, and impairment Jono now lives with, along with the traumatic memories of his infection, have led to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Unfortunately, the ongoing pain and PTSD also led to the breakdown of his relationship.

Worried about his future, Jono reached out to us for legal advice

Jono met with Melissa Meyers, Principal Lawyer and Tayleigh Jenkins, Lawyer, both specialists in medical negligence law.

Melissa and Tayleigh took the time to listen to Jono’s story and explain his entitlements.

Spending time with Jono at his property in far north Queensland and seeing the life he used to lead had a real and lasting impact on Melissa and Tayleigh, who are now working hard to secure justice and compensation for Jono.

“Jono is the most unassuming, hard-working and down-to-earth fellow you would ever meet, and to see him struggling to return to his dream of working with horses inspires us,” said Melissa.

“While no amount of compensation can undo the terrible ordeal Jono has gone through, we will continue to advocate for him to ensure he gets the proper compensation to give him a secure future.”

If you or a loved one has suffered because of a failed diagnosis or negligent medical treatment, contact us to speak to an experienced lawyer about your options. Strict time limits can apply in claiming compensation for medical negligence, so we recommend seeking advice as soon as possible.