Boy Deprived of Oxygen at Birth Awarded £8 Million
A boy who was left disabled after he was deprived of oxygen at birth has been awarded damages of £8 million.
Owen Wilson suffers from choreoathetoid cerebral palsy because he was deprived of oxygen for 17 minutes during his birth at the Wordsley Hospital in Dudley, West Midlands. Midwives delivering Owen failed to call an obstetrician when there were indications of foetal distress shortly before he was born. As a result, he suffered damage to his brain.
The condition has left Owen unable to feed or dress himself properly. Medical experts had predicted that he would never be able to walk. However, he has fought hard to overcome his problems but still has difficulty with balance and mobility.
His mother brought the action against the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, claiming that it was the failure by the medical staff to take prompt corrective action that left her son disabled. Independent medical experts were of the view that if Owen had been born 17 minutes earlier he would not have suffered any damage.
Last year the Hospital Trust admitted that it was at fault and the amount of the settlement has now been approved in the High Court. The family will receive a lump sum of £2 million. This is to be followed by annual payments, bringing the total up to £8 million.
The money means that the Wilson family will not have to sell their house to fund Owen's care. Instead, they will be able to buy a property that is better suited to his needs, as well as paying for the 24-hour care which he will require for the rest of his life.
Owen Wilson suffers from choreoathetoid cerebral palsy because he was deprived of oxygen for 17 minutes during his birth at the Wordsley Hospital in Dudley, West Midlands. Midwives delivering Owen failed to call an obstetrician when there were indications of foetal distress shortly before he was born. As a result, he suffered damage to his brain.
The condition has left Owen unable to feed or dress himself properly. Medical experts had predicted that he would never be able to walk. However, he has fought hard to overcome his problems but still has difficulty with balance and mobility.
His mother brought the action against the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, claiming that it was the failure by the medical staff to take prompt corrective action that left her son disabled. Independent medical experts were of the view that if Owen had been born 17 minutes earlier he would not have suffered any damage.
Last year the Hospital Trust admitted that it was at fault and the amount of the settlement has now been approved in the High Court. The family will receive a lump sum of £2 million. This is to be followed by annual payments, bringing the total up to £8 million.
The money means that the Wilson family will not have to sell their house to fund Owen's care. Instead, they will be able to buy a property that is better suited to his needs, as well as paying for the 24-hour care which he will require for the rest of his life.
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Mike
Hamblin
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