Claire Meehan, a mother of three from Dublin, was 49 when she died in October 2024. Before her death she had begun a High Court action concerning the medical care she received over a number of years; following her death, the proceedings were continued by one of her daughters on behalf of the family.
At the heart of the case was an alleged delay in diagnosing lung cancer. The family’s case was that, over an extended period, Ms Meehan repeatedly attended her doctor with symptoms affecting her respiratory tract but was not referred for X-rays or specialist assessment.
It was claimed that, despite Ms Meehan attending one doctor on at least 29 occasions with upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms, she was prescribed antibiotics and not referred for specialist opinion or radiological investigation. It was further alleged that she had reported coughing up blood and that, together with known risk factors recorded in her medical history, this should have prompted referral for further investigation. The family’s case was that the absence of radiological investigation between 2017 and 2020 contributed to a delayed diagnosis.
A separate claim was made in respect of a second doctor whom Ms Meehan attended between October 2020 and April 2021. It was alleged that she presented with symptoms including a cough, sore throat and chest pain and was not referred onward until May 2021. All of the allegations against both doctors were denied.
The family’s case was that, had imaging taken place by around December 2020, it would have led to a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer at a point when surgery may have been possible. An expert retained on the family’s behalf would have given evidence that Ms Meehan’s life expectancy was shortened by approximately 15 months. A bronchoscopy carried out in June 2021, and a subsequent biopsy, confirmed small cell carcinoma, after which she began chemotherapy.
Ms Meehan was 49 and a mother of three. Her death in October 2024 was felt deeply by her family, who chose to continue the proceedings she had started in order to seek answers and recognition of what had happened.
The High Court described the case as very sad and tragic, and the judge extended his sympathy to the Meehan family.
Cases involving the death of a mother, grandmother and wife are amongst the most devastating we ever encounter. For families, the legal process is not about numbers or legal consequences alone but about proper recognition of the scale of their loss and the lifelong impact of what has happened for the loss of a mother, grandmother and wife.
The action came before Mr Justice Paul Coffey in the High Court, where the case was settled without an admission of liability. The court noted the settlement and approved the division of the €35,000 statutory mental distress payment among the family. The judge described the case as very sad and tragic and conveyed his best wishes to the Meehan family.
Because the settlement was reached without any admission of liability, the allegations made on the family’s behalf were not determined by the court, and the doctors’ denials remain on the record.
Delayed diagnosis claims generally turn on two questions: whether reasonable steps were taken to investigate a patient’s symptoms, and what difference earlier investigation might have made. Cases of this kind highlight the importance of referral for specialist assessment and imaging where a pattern of symptoms, or known risk factors, may point to a more serious underlying condition.
For families, reaching a settlement — even one without an admission of liability — can provide an important measure of recognition and a degree of closure after a profoundly difficult experience.
Hussey Fraser Solicitors represented the Meehan family throughout the proceedings, instructing counsel and preparing the medical and expert evidence relied upon in support of the family’s case. John Browne, Partner at Hussey Fraser Solicitors, acted on behalf of the family.
This case was reported by a number of national news publications:
This case study relates to High Court proceedings reported in May 2026. Names, dates and details are intended to reflect contemporaneous court reporting as accurately as possible. The proceedings were settled without an admission of liability, and the allegations referred to were denied and were not determined by the court. Anyone seeking clarification or further information in relation to this case is welcome to contact John Browne, Partner at Hussey Fraser Solicitors, directly.
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