A young girl has secured a compensation payout to cover her long-term care after she was rendered disabled at birth.

Sophie Bessent, now 12, sued the Mid Devon Primary Care Trust through her mother Lynette, whose legal team claimed that had more specialised staff been present at Sophie’s birth, she may have avoided injury.

They maintain that Sophie had displayed signs of distress prior to her birth and allege that doctors should have acted on this in order to be better prepared for her delivery.

The NHS trust agreed an undisclosed settlement for Sophie – which is believed to be a seven-figure sum – but did not admit liability for her injuries, the Essex Express and Echo reports.

Mrs Justice Dobbs commented: "I am satisfied this represents an appropriate settlement in the interests of Sophie."

If sub-standard care during pregnancy or birth can be proved to have caused disability, compensation can be sought to cover the costs of care to ensure an improved quality of life and financial security for the lifetime of the child.

Compensation for brain injuries will usually be more substantial than that for other injuries, since it must cover care if the victim is unable to look after themselves.