A 12-year-old boy, who was left facing a lifetime of acute disability when he suffered brain damage during his hospital birth, has been assured of a multi-million-pound compensation pay-out after an NHS trust conceded 85 per cent liability for his injuries.
The youngster was starved of oxygen shortly before his delivery and was stricken by cerebral palsy which will leave him dependent on others for the rest of his life. It was argued on his behalf that, but for a negligent delay in his Caesarean birth, he would have escaped the worst of the damage.
Under the terms of a settlement, the NHS trust which managed the hospital agreed that the boy should receive 85 per cent of the full value of his claim. Although his damages award has yet to be finally assessed, it is estimated that his claim is worth more than £5 million, even after a 15 per cent deduction. Approving the compromise, the High Court had ‘no shadow of a doubt’ that it was in the boy’s best interests.
Chris Woods, Medical Negligence Solicitor at Russell Worth solicitors, said: “This is a very sad case in which a baby boy was left disabled due to negligence in his delivery.
“No amount of money will ever make up for the brain damage the boy suffered during his birth and consequential acute disability, however it is hoped that the compensation he looks set to receive will go some way towards providing the level of care he now relies on for the rest of his life.”