Brain damaged man rewarded £7 million - 02/04/2008

A 24 year old man who suffered brain damage at birth has received £7 million after a successful medical negligence claim against the hospital where he was born.

Nicky Smith, of Milton Keynes, was awarded an immediate payout of £2.5 million and will also receive £170’000 each year for the rest of his life.

Mr Smith, who requires round the clock care and is confined to a wheelchair, took his claim against the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust to the High Court in London. A judge ruled that his brain injury had stemmed from an infection at his birth that had not received proper treatment.

After the conclusion of the hearing Mr Smith’s solicitor, Sue Jarvis, spoke of the life-changing importance of the payout for her client and the reassurance bestowed upon his parents.

“It has already been possible to purchase a property for Nicky which will change his life and mean that he can live as independently as possible with the help of his parents and carers,” she said.