Boy Injured at Birth Wins £9.5 Million Damages

The parents of a boy who was born severely disabled after complications arose during his hospital delivery have had a compensation settlement of £9.5 million approved by the court.

The eight-year-old was left suffering from severe cerebral palsy following a period of oxygen starvation when his umbilical cord became compressed during his mother's labour at Brighton’s Royal Sussex Hospital in 2006. His disability is so serious that he will be dependent on the care of others for the rest of his life.

Through his mother, he sued the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, claiming that the negligence of medical staff caused his injury. Following negotiations, the Trust agreed to pay compensation on the basis of 70 per cent of a full valuation of the boy’s claim.

The settlement, valued at £9.5 million in total, was made up of a £3 million lump sum, plus index-linked and tax-free annual payments of £80,000 a year, rising to £150,000 a year when the boy turns 19. Those sums will be devoted to covering the enormous costs of his lifelong care.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Sweeney said that he had viewed a DVD of the boy with his parents and praised them for the way in which they had cared for him, adding, "At least mum and dad now have the peace of mind to know that their son's needs are looked after for the future financially."

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