A boy from Blackbird Leys has been awarded £1m in compensation after he was left severely brain damaged by complications during his birth.
The award was made at the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday, November 18, for alleged negligent treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Dontay Crooks, six, is in line to receive the lump sum, as well as annual payments to provide care for the rest of his life.
The annual payments will be £50,000 per year until he is 11-years-old, rising to £80,000 annually until he is 18 then £140,000 each year for the rest of his life. The monies will be paid into the Court of Protection and used to purchase and adapt accommodation suitable for his needs and to provide the care, equipment and therapies he will require throughout his life.
Dontay Crooks was delivered at the hospital in 2005, but alleged mismanagement of his mother's labour led to catastrophic brain damage. The boy was left with severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy and cannot crawl, walk or sit without support.
The client has such that he cannot He has little useful hand control and no speech, wears nappies and suffers from epilepsy. He is tube fed and suffers from severe learning difficulties and behavioural problems, and requires constant care and stimulation.
The family's lawyers said that they had struggled since his birth to cope "mentally and physically" with his disabilities in inadequate accommodation, and the award would fund professional care.
Sue Jarvis, a partner at Blake Lapthorn who leads its cerebral palsy team in Oxford, said: "I am delighted that we were able to obtain such a good settlement for my client, which means that his mother will not have to suffer the stresses of going to court as well as having the reassurance that he will have a suitable environment for his needs and that she will be able to call upon professional carers and therapists to help with her son's care."
A spokesperson for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust can confirm that a settlement of a claim was reached on October 13, 2011 and that this has now been approved by the High Court.
"The Trust hopes that the settlement, along with the high level of care and devotion provided by the child’s mother and extended family, will assist him to reach his potential. We wish him and his family the best for the future.”
