£2.5M Recovered On Behalf Of Child Who Suffered Cerebral Palsy

Patrick Mullarkey of Campbell Fitzpatrick, Solicitors, Belfast, acted on behalf of the injured party in this action. The Plaintiff’s mother suffered complications in relation to her pregnancy and was admitted to hospital. On admission the Patient’s mother was noted to be apyrexial, had a raised heartbeat and temperature. Labour was induced and ended in a normal delivery later the next day. The neonatal period for the injured party was complicated by an infection. The Plaintiff now suffers from quadriplegic cerebral palsy. It was the Plaintiff’s case that her condition was caused as a consequence of the negligence and breach of contract of the medical personnel responsible for her and her mother’s care during the course of her mother’s admission to hospital.

The crux of the Plaintiff’s case was that action should have been taken to deliver her at an earlier time. According to the medical evidence obtained on behalf of the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff should have been born by way of emergency caesarean section 19 hours before she was in fact by induced. It was the Plaintiff’s case that had the Plaintiff been born 19 hours earlier, she would have avoided the insult which ultimately led to the development of cerebral palsy.

Pursuant to the receipt of instructions from the Plaintiff’s mother, a detailed investigation was undertaken of the medical issues and the financial issues relating to past and future care. The Plaintiff was assisted in her endeavours by provision of civil aid through the offices of the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission. The Plaintiff and her family wish to record their thanks for the assistance provided in this regard.

Ultimately proceedings were issued in the High Court of Justice in Belfast. Those proceedings concluded with the settlement of the action in the aforementioned sum. It is to be noted that the details of this action have been anonymised in order to preserve the overall confidentiality of the settlement. It should however be noted that payment was made in this case without admission of liability on the part of the Defendant.