June 8th, 2009
A boy who suffers from cerebral palsy after being deprived of oxygen at birth is to receive compensation of £7 million.
Luke Purver, now 12, was to be delivered by emergency Caesarean at Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital in March 1997, the Andover Advertiser reports.
However, a doctor decided to delay the procedure so that he could make a final attempt to deliver Luke using forceps.
This four-minute delay caused the baby to be deprived of oxygen and he had to be resuscitated shortly after birth.
Luke now suffers from cerebral palsy and will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life.
Through his mother Sally Miller, Luke sued Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust, which has now agreed to the £7 million payout.
"This has been a long and stressful process for the whole family so I am relieved that it is finally over," said Ms Miller.
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.
Tags: Andover Advertiser, Brain, Cerebral Palsy, Disability Compensation, Eastleigh, Final Attempt, Financial Security, Healthcare Nhs Trust, Lifetime, Minute Delay, Oxygen, Pregnancy Birth, Quality Of Life, Royal Hampshire County, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Sally Miller, Winchester
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
April 9th, 2009
A woman who suffered brain damage at birth is to receive compensation of more than £1 million after the hospital admitted to failings in her care.
Jackie Crothall went into hospital expecting twins in January 1988, but had started to experience difficulties, ThisisHampshire.net attests.
She was in need of an emergency Caesarean, but staff at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester failed to recognise this.
As a result, one twin died and the other, Becky Crothall, suffered brain damage that led to cerebral palsy.
Now 21, she is unable to go out alone and cannot be left unsupervised.
Through her mother, Becky took legal action against South Central Strategic Health Authority and has now secured the payout.
Her legal representative said that the money is not a windfall, but a just settlement to pay for Becky’s future care and the assistance she has already received.
According to Scope, one in 400 children in the UK suffers from cerebral palsy. Around ten per cent of cerebral palsy compensation claims are due to complications at birth.
Tags: 1 Million, 1m, Becky, Birth Injury, Brain Damage, Cerebral Palsy, Compensation Claims, Crothall, Expecting Twins, Future Care, Injury Victim, Legal Representative, Royal Hampshire County, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Scope, Strategic Health Authority, Winchester, Windfall, Woman
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
June 17th, 2008
A Hampshire school caretaker is suing his employees for £50,000 after he fell off a stepladder.
Anthony Gower-Smith claims Hampshire county council acted negligently by failing to provide him with adequate safety training.
Mr Gower-Smith – a former garage owner who has used step ladders for 30 years – broke his cheekbone, fractured his skull and also split a kidney in the accident at Awbridge Primary School in 2004.
Although he admits signing a form saying he had safety training, Mr Gower-Smith told the Winchester county court: "When you’re given something to sign by a superior, you just sign it. I didn’t know there were other things about ladders."
A verdict in the case is expected next week.
More than 36 million working days are lost every year as a result of work related accident or ill health, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
Tags: Adequate Safety, Cheekbone, Garage Owner, Gower, Hampshire County Council, Ill Health, Kidney, Prevention, Quot, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Safety Training, School Caretaker, Skull, Step Ladders, Stepladder, Winchester, Work Health, Work Related Accident
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
