A High Court judge has approved an interim settlement of medical negligence compensation to be awarded to a boy who was born with irreversible brain damage.
Ryan Brennan from Cahir, County Tipperary, made the claim through his parents following allegedly preventable complications before and during his (Ryan´s) birth in January 2000 at the St Joseph´s Hospital in Clonmel.
A foetal trace was taken of Ryan’s foetal heartbeat several hours before he was born. In spite of medical staff uncovering abnormalities in Ryan´s heart rate, the failed to act in an appropriate manner.
Shortly after Ryan was born, he had to be resuscitated. He continued to suffer from seizures throughout the following day. Due to his delayed birth, Ryan was started of oxygen in the womb and was born with irreversible brain damage. Later medical assessment diagnosed him with cerebral palsy. He is reliant on care from his parents for even simple tasks, and will be dependant on care for the rest of his life.
In the action it was claimed by Ryan´s parents – Lorraine and Raymond Brennan – that Ryan´s cerebral palsy could have been avoided if the consultant obstetrician – Dr Brendan Powell – and staff at St Joseph´s Hospital had applied greater care to their work, and a birth injury medical negligence compensation action was made against Dr Powell and the HSE.
Both parties did not accept the allegations of a failure to act, negligence, a breach of duty by Dr Powell and a breach of contract by the hospital which resulted in the brain damage suffered by Ryan. Due to the dispute in liabilty, the case was heard at the High Court in Dublin.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine oversaw proceedings. She was told that an interim settlement of cerebral palsy birth injury compensation had been agreed upon with no admission of liability, and that the case against the consultant had been struck from court.
The €1.7 million temporary payment is for the next two years to allow for the introduction of a new structured payment system and a review of Ryan´s future needs. Ms Justine Mary Irvine described the interim settlement as ‘in the upper parameters of these types of cases’ as she approved it on Ryan’s behalf.
