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The highest administrative court in France, the Council of State, has delivered a final ruling in a long-standing medical liability case involving the Quinze-Vingts hospital in Paris. The court has upheld a decision to compensate a 63-year-old man who lost his right eye following what was determined to be deficient medical care.
A Case of Medical Negligence
The incident dates back to December 2019, when the patient initially sought treatment at the specialized ophthalmology hospital for redness in his right eye. Medical professionals diagnosed him with endophthalmitis, a severe infection inside the eye. Despite the gravity of the condition-compounded by the patient’s history of glaucoma surgery two years prior-he was discharged and sent home.
Returning to the hospital two days later, the patient underwent a vitrectomy, a surgical procedure on the eye. However, the intervention proved insufficient to save his sight. Upon discharge, his visual acuity in the right eye had dropped to less than 1/20, eventually leading to the total loss of the eye.
Delayed Treatment Identified as Critical Factor
The administrative courts, including the Paris Administrative Tribunal, identified a major failure in the patient’s care. According to expert medical testimony, the standard of care required an injection of antibiotics directly into the eye within 120 minutes of diagnosis. This treatment was not administered during the patient’s initial visit.
The ruling emphasized that had the antibiotics been administered within the required timeframe, the risk of losing the eye would have been reduced to only 15%. The court concluded that the failure to provide timely treatment caused the patient to lose any chance of preventing the permanent damage.
Impact on Patient’s Life
Beyond the physical loss of his eye, the patient reported significant impacts on his quality of life, including a loss of depth perception and increased physical clumsiness. The incident also forced him to abandon plans for his retirement, which included sailing-a hobby he can no longer safely pursue due to his disability.
Final Compensation Ruling
The legal battle spanned several years. In March 2024, the Paris Administrative Tribunal initially ordered the hospital to pay over 61,000 euros in damages. Following an appeal by the hospital, the Administrative Court of Appeal of Paris reduced the award to 47,000 euros in December 2025. The Council of State’s recent decision on July 30, 2026, refused to admit the patient’s further appeal, effectively finalizing the 47,000 euro compensation package.
Source: Actu.fr
