Home / Medical Negligence / €3m Compensation for Girl who Suffered ‘Catastrophic’ Brain Injuries after being Discharged without Adequate Medication

€3m Compensation for Girl who Suffered ‘Catastrophic’ Brain Injuries after being Discharged without Adequate Medication

A €3m interim compensation settlement has been approved in a legal action that it was claimed that Temple Street Children’s Hospital allowed an 18-month-old child to be discharged without ensuring that she was free from infection, identifying the cause of high temperatures, and failing to provide proper information or advice to the parents on discharge about spotting the signs of ongoing infection.

Speaking after the approval decision was revealed,  solicitor for the young girl’s family Ciaran Tansey, said the compensation settlement was the end of a 10-year battle by the family of Chloe O’Flaherty. He said that in the incident that occurred in 2009, things “went horribly wrong” for Chloe in terms of the treatment she was given. He added: “That said, today’s settlement will never offer adequate recompense for Chloe and Samantha and Patrick. While she will be looked after financially, far more important is the care and love that has been offered to her for the past 12 years by the two people standing beside me, her the parents”.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey was satisfied the interim settlement was reasonable and approved it. He told those present that Chloe’s parents have been unable to work since their daughter was released from hospital. He gave his best wishes to the Flaherty family.

Chloe O’Flaherty took the legal action through her father against the hospital, alleging that the institute had not taken steps to see to it that she was in a fit state upon discharge.

A €3m interim settlement has been approved by the High Court for a girl who suffered brain damage after she was allegedly discharged from hospital without antibiotics following cranial surgery when she was 18 months old. Now 14 years of age, Chloe is physically disabled and mentally challenged. Liability was not accepted by the hospital.

Chloe underwent surgery in the Children’s University Hospital when she was one-and-a-half years old. During the surgery her skull was opened. after it was finished she remained in hospital for 10 days suffering spikes in temperature which required intravenous and oral antibiotics throughout that time. When she was finally sent home her treatment team did not give her any antibiotic cover or plan. In the week that followed she continued to experience high temperatures. When they enquired about this her parents were informed that this was to be expected and to address this by giving Chloe Calpol and analgesics. While this did lower her temperature it did not remedy her underlying situation and seven days later her parents discovered her lying on her side and “continued to fit for at least an hour”. At that point she was rushed to hospital where it was discovered that she had sustained significant brain injuries. She will have to have full time care for the remainder of her life as she confined to a wheelchair and is mentally challenged.

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