BBC reports that the mother of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy has won the equivalent of $11.4 million in a lawsuit against the hospital she says is responsible for his brain injury.
The lawsuit alleges that hospital staff went 20 minutes without noticing that the boy’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, depriving his brain of oxygen.
The boy, Charlie Scott, was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic hemiplegic atheloid cerebral palsy and is unable to walk, talk or feed himself.
His mother, Clare Scott, first began looking into legal proceedings against Royal Bournemouth Hospital when Charlie was nine months old. In 2010, the hospital admitted it was at fault after the exact cause of the brain damage was established.
The story quotes the hospital’s director of nursing and midwifery as saying: “We apologize sincerely to Charles and his family for the level of care they received. Had an appropriate standard of care been provided, Charles’ brain injury would have been avoided.”
According to the story, the compensation will provide equipment for his physical and communication needs.
Clare Scott is quoted as saying of the settlement: “It will make his life a lot easier and I know in the future when I’m not able to look after him I’ll be able to put care in place for him.”
If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic brain injury, check with Lopez McHugh for a free consultation to see what your legal options are.
See the story here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-20977071