Background
Our client, ‘X’, fell seriously ill at 8 months of age and his father took him to A&E. There was deliberation amongst the medical staff as to whether ‘X’ should be tested for and/or given precautionary antibiotics for meningitis. ’X’ did in fact have meningitis, but the deliberation from medical staff during this vital window of time in which effective treatment could still be delivered, meant that it was too late for any treatment to reverse the impact of the disease and he suffered a catastrophic, permanent brain injury.
Our involvement
We successfully argued that this deliberation, based on his presenting symptoms, was negligent and the care and treatment he received fell below a reasonable standard. Had meningitis been identified in the early stages of X’s admission to A&E through precautionary testing, his brain injury could have been avoided.
Outcome
‘X’ has been left with debilitating cognitive impairment, rendering his cognitive age akin to that of a 2-year old. An interim payment was agreed, allowing X’s parents to provide the round-the-clock care he required and the family were able to move to a better-suited house, whilst the terms of the final settlement were being negotiated.
A settlement was negotiated by us and finally agreed by the Court, consisting of a lump sum of £5.4 million, plus annual care and case management payments of £228,000 for the remainder of X’s life. With ‘X’ having a near-normal life expectancy, this equates to a potential figure in the region of £28 million.
X’s family
The settlement means that X’s family will have the means to support him, as well as each other, for the foreseeable future. Both parents have had to give up work to assist ‘X’, who’s now 19, to ensure that he has the best quality of life possible.
“We have had a few days to digest the advancement with X’s negligence case and indeed it is really great news for ‘X’ and the family. We are very grateful to all the professionals who have supported X’s case and us over the years to arrive at this key point. We especially extend our thanks to Sarah Huntbach and her support team” – ‘X’s parents.
Through our continued work, we’re delighted to have been able to create such a positive difference to ‘X’ and his family and others in similar situations and strive to further improve lives in this way.
Further information
To find out more about how we can help you with a clinical negligence claim, please contact Sarah Huntbach.
