An 11-year-old girl from Lincolnshire recently won what is thought to be one of the highest medical negligence awards ever paid out in the UK.
Last Monday, the High Court in London awarded £10.8 million to Milly Evans, a young girl who will now spend the rest of her life wheelchair bound because staff at a Lincolnshire hospital acted negligently during her birth.
Her parents claimed that Milly’s heart was not monitored properly in the period leading up to her birth and the midwife was unaware that she was suffering fetal distress. After her birth, she was moved to the neo-natal unit at Lincoln County Hospital, where she suffered a seizure and required resuscitation.
As a result of the hospital’s blunders, the young girl contracted cerebral palsy and needs continual care. As well as being reliant on a wheelchair, she is unable to speak. She can however communicate via sophisticated eye-gaze equipment.
The personal injury compensation award included a lump sum payment of nearly £6 million plus periodic payments for the rest of her life.
The personal injury solicitors who acted on behalf of the Evans family said the award would allow Milly to enjoy a more positive life experience. The money means the family can buy a specially-adapted home with a hydrotherapy pool.
United Lincolnshire Hospital NHS Trust had admitted liability for Milly’s injuries back in 2010 but it took a further 2 years for an agreement to be reached on the size of the award.