An 11 year old girl from Lincolnshire who suffered brain injuries at birth has been awarded £10.8m at London’s High Court.
Milly Evans needs 24-hour care, seven days a week. She requires help with all aspects of life and is unable to walk or talk, and is confined to a wheelchair. She also suffers with cerebral palsy.
Her intellect, however, is fine, and she communicates using eye gaze equipment.
The medical negligence compensation claim centred on the baby’s heart not being monitored correctly. It was alleged that had the heart been observed, the midwife would have delivered the child sooner and avoided the injuries Milly suffered.
Soon after her birth at Lincoln County Hospital she suffered a seizure.
Susan Rodway QC, who was the family’s legal representation, told the judge, Sir Robert Nelson: “It is yet another incident of an avoidable accident at birth which caused devastating injuries.”
The settlement involves a lump sum of £5.866m and life-long annual payments which will rise to £204,000 each year to help with Milly’s care.
The judge told her parents they had done a fantastic job in caring for their daughter. Mr Evans was a former member of the Red Arrows display team and gave up his position to help care for Milly.
Defending the trust, which initially admitted liability but contested the amount of compensation, Paul Rees QC gave the family an unreserved apology and stated working practices had changed since Milly’s birth eleven years ago.
The family can now purchase a specially adapted home to help care for their daughter.
