Girl disabled from attack at birth wins £6.5million compensation
A Bury injury lawyer has won a £6.5m compensation claim settlement for a 20-year-old woman, who was left severely disabled after being shaken as a baby.
The amount is believed to be a record payout for damages caused to a baby, who suffered serious personal injury due to a criminal act.
The compensation was awarded to the girl’s adoptive parents. The couple took the child in to their home following the attacks on her by her natural mother and have cared for her since a very young age.
It’s believed that the victim’s injuries, which include brain damage, partial blindness, limited mobility and challenging behaviour, are so serious that she is completely unable to work and relies on full-time care.
The £6.5million includes a £257,000 payout for her multiple personal injury, along with £4million for her continued care.
Her adopted father only survived for two weeks after the hearing, after he had fallen ill with advanced lung cancer, and was said to be desperate to discover the outcome of the hearing before he passed away.
A representative from the girl’s injury lawyer said: “We had a constant battle with the authority to get a final hearing. For a long time the authority argued the victim did not need much money for care costs, as they would be paid for by the NHS and the local authority.
“Late in the day it conceded she should not have to rely on that for the rest of her life. She has so many challenging needs, and this decision will now enable the family to buy specialist care.”
Updated on 29/03/2010