Personal injury news

Brain-damaged girl wins personal injury claim

A teenager who was born with severe brain damage has received £1.5 million after a successful personal injury claim at London's High Court.

18-year-old Rachel Taylor brought the compensation claim, backed by her mother, against Birmingham and the Black Country Strategic Health Authority, accusing them of being negligent at her birth.

She was born with severe cerebral palsy, which caused brain damage to occur close to the time of her birth, and blamed midwives and doctors at Solihull hospital for the complications.

The health authority vehemently denied any wrongdoing, but Mr Justice Ramsey agreed they were responsible and ordered the sum to be paid, saying, "I am satisfied that the settlement of £1.5million represents a proper and reasonable compromise of the claim and one which takes into account the interests of Rachel and her future care."

The court had heard how Miss Taylor's brain damage had resulted in limited physical co-ordination because of problems with her hearing and vision, and she also had difficulty communicating. She suffered from epilepsy and requires constant help and care for all aspects of her life.

She lives at a purpose-built residential property in Hereford, and has enjoyed a much better quality of life, and in fact a longer life expectancy, than was originally predicted due to the love and care of her family.

Representatives of Miss Taylor declined to comment after the successful personal injury claim.