Compensation settlement for bereaved family after brain injury and death of second twin

Boyes Turner's birth injury lawyers secured a compensation settlement for the family of a three-year-old boy who had suffered a brain injury as a result of negligent maternity care at the time of his birth.

The boy was a second twin and although CTG fetal heart rate monitoring was carried out during his mother's labor, the maternity staff failed to recognize that he was showing signs of fetal distress. Abnormalities in his heart rate were not detected because the maternity staff had failed to notice that the CTG was picking up his mother's heart rate  instead of his. If his heart rate had been correctly monitored, signs of his distress would have been detected and correct treatment would have been to deliver him urgently to avoid permanent injury to his brain.

Instead, unaware that they were monitoring the mother's heart rate instead of the second twin, the maternity team failed to expedite his delivery. During the period of negligent delay, he suffered a hypoxic ischaemic brain injury (HIE) from lack of oxygen to his brain. He died at the age of three from complications related to his cerebral palsy.

We helped our client's family claim compensation from the defendant hospital and secured a substantial out-of-court settlement for the boy's family.

If you are caring for a child with cerebral palsy or neurological injury as a result of medical negligence and would like to find out more about making a claim, you can talk to one of our specialist solicitors, free and confidentially, by contacting us here .