Meningitis girl wins pounds 1.9m award

A STRING of medical negligence cases secured multi-million awards in court yesterday.

The family of Sophie Cordell, now eight, accepted pounds 1.9m in High Court damages for severe brain damage she suffered after developing meningitis. Legal action against Brent and Harrow Health Authority alleged delayed diagnosis and treatment. The authority denied liability.

Jessica Tozer was awarded pounds 2.2m for brain damage she suffered at her birth eight years ago. Plymouth and Torbay Health Authority admitted liability.

Esther Hamill, now 16, was awarded pounds 1.65m from West Kent Health Authority. She was left severely disabled and blind after the oxygen supply to her incubator ran out in an ambulance. The authority admitted it was 90 per cent to blame.

Maxwell Brown, 15, was awarded pounds 800,000 for brain damage allegedly caused in the womb after his mother's diabetes went untreated. A settlement was approved against Mid-Glamorgan Health Authority, although it made no admissions on liability.

And the family of Sonia Ford, 41, who died after suffering an allergic reaction to anaesthetic during a sinus operation won pounds 300,000 agreed High Court damages.

How one child was hit by meningitis, Review Front