£37million to compensate a negligently injured baby.

In August 2019[1] we wrote an article about an Inquest where a Coroner concluded that a baby died as a result of serious failings at Basildon Hospital in 2018. Ennis Pecaku was starved of oxygen and he stopped breathing during his delivery. His condition was so poor that his parents had to make the heart breaking decision to turn off his life support the following day. This was tragic for the family.

At the other end of the spectrum are cases where a child is negligently injured at about the time of their birth, and those have a catastrophic effect on their life. They will need a lot of help and assistance to live as normal a life as technology will allow. This is expensive. Where they expect to live as long as those without such injures then the overall compensation can be significant. The costs of care and assistance for up to 80 years or so will amount to several million pounds, when calculated as a lump sum.

In this recently reported case[2] the young boy who suffered brain-damage as a result of negligence was awarded one of the largest maternity negligence claims the health service has ever seen. “Guys’ and ST Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust admitted mistakes in the boy’s care that have now left him severely disabled and needing round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.”

At Sternberg Reed we are currently working with families who are caring for children who have suffered negligently caused brain injuries. If you wish to discuss any concerns you have about any member of your family then please feel free to contact us. We are always happy to take initial details and point you in the right directions.

Dr Darren Conway PhD is a Solicitor and Head of our Medical Negligence Department here at Sternberg Reed, specialising in helping those who have suffered an avoidable injury in a medical setting.

If you want to find out more and see how Sternberg Reed could help you, click HERE

Or call us on 0208 591 3366

For more information regarding NHS complaints process, please click HERE.

This article does not constitute legal advice and you should contact us directly if you are facing a similar situation.

[1] https://www.sternberg-reed.co.uk/news/coroners-inquest-neglect/

[2]https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/maternity-safety-nhs-negligence-guys-thomas-a9357501.html?amp