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Payout for disabled boy
A cheerful and "deeply loved" ten-year-old boy, locked inside a gravely disabled body by hospital blunders when he was a baby, has won a compensation deal worth more than £3million.
Matthew Goode was left cortically blind by oxygen starvation suffered during his birth at Watford General Hospital in May 1997. However, he was progressing well when he caught chicken pox whilst on a family holiday when he was still less than two years old.
The combination of the two medical catastrophes left Matthew facing a lifetime of acute disability and utterly dependent on his parents, Katriona and Paul, to whose fortitude and courage a High Court judge paid glowing tribute today.
Through his mother, Matthew, who will celebrate his 11th birthday on May 11, sued West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, who agreed to settle his case on the basis of 85 per cent liability. Lawyers confirmed the deal could be worth up to £3.6 million.
In a statement to the court, Mr and Mrs Goode, while expressing relief that Matthew's financial future is now secure, were highly critical of the NHS Trust's handling of the case.
They said: "We can never ever be compensated for what has happened to Matthew and the effect that it will have forever on us as a family. Matthew will always be severely trapped in a body that won't co-ordinate, allowing him to perform everyday activities.
"Despite this difficult litigation, we continue to remain positive and we will do everything in our power to help Matthew.
"We will encourage his development through therapy, education and equipment and communication aids for as long as he's with us, to enable him to be fulfilled and to achieve his full potential - whatever that may be now."
Defence counsel, Mr Michael de Navarro QC, said the NHS Trust was "delighted" that settlement terms had been agreed. He said: "We acknowledge the devoted care given to Matthew by his parents and hope their lives will now be easier than they might otherwise have been."
4:18pm Wednesday 30th April 2008
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