An interesting case in the news recently was the case of the 8 year old girl from South Yorkshire who was injured whilst in her mother’s womb, leaving her permanently disabled. The girl was recently awarded a compensation deal totalling £8 million that will allow her to receive the lifelong specialist care she requires after being born with cerebral palsy and a variety of other disabilities.
The accident in which the girl was injured happened back in 2000 when her mother was 26 weeks pregnant. Her mother was a passenger in a car that was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle in the South Yorkshire town of Doncaster. The force of the crash caused a condition known as placental abruption, where the placenta separates from the lining of the womb. In serious cases this can cause the death of the mother and the child. However in the little girl’s case, although she and her mother survived the accident, she was left with permanent disabilities, requiring round the clock care from her parents and from specialist care workers.
A claim was made against the driver of the other vehicle, with the girl’s mother representing her daughter. The driver’s insurance company agreed to settle the claim for around £8 million, in a decision reached at the High Court in London. At the approval hearing, the Judge, Sir Robert Nelson, commended the girl’s parents for devoting themselves to her care. The parents had refused any compensation for themselves for the time they had spent and the sacrifices they had made in caring for their daughter. Instead, all the monies from the settlement would be put towards the long term care costs of their daughter, who despite her severe disabilities, was expected to live until her 60’s.
Where an accident involves children, and particularly where any injuries are likely to result in the need for long term care provision, a compensation claim can cover those costs. Camps Solicitors have made claims for the costs of care in cases very similar to that of the little girl from South Yorkshire. Although a financial settlement will never fully compensate for the permanent disability of a family member, it can help to take some of the worry and uncertainty away from providing care. For more information about making a claim where an accident has left you or someone in your family with permanent disabilities, call today.
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