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Boyes Turner’s meningitis brain injury lawyers have secured a substantial settlement for a young boy with meningitis brain injury. Our client was three years old when he suffered a severe brain injury as a result of a negligent delay in diagnosis of his pneumococcal meningitis infection.

His mother took him to see a GP at an out-of-hours clinic the day after he first had symptoms of a headache, earache and a high temperature. The GP advised her to give him Calpol and to bring him back if he didn’t improve. She called the clinic again the same evening as she was worried about her son’s condition but was given the same advice. A day later, she took him back to the GP who noted that the boy was suffering from ‘a flu-like illness’ but failed to prescribe antibiotics.

A further day later our client’s mother called the surgery, worried that her son was now showing signs of lethargy. He was noted to have vomited three days earlier with signs of drowsiness the day before. Despite the Calpol, he was hot to the touch and had vomited again. His temperature was 40.4 degrees and he was shivering and shaky.

The GP told our client’s mother to take him straight to hospital. She did as advised and her son was admitted to the paediatric ward at 11.00 pm that night.  Despite his high temperature and blood tests showing signs of infection, no action was taken until the next morning, when a consultant reviewed him and prescribed antibiotics for suspected meningitis. The plan was for our client to receive antibiotic treatment whilst further tests were carried out to establish a confirmed diagnosis.

Our client still had not been given the prescribed antibiotics when he suffered a sudden severe deterioration in his condition at midday. He was transferred to a tertiary London hospital, where he was admitted to intensive care for treatment and ventilation.  An MRI scan later revealed that he had suffered a brain injury.

Our client’s mother asked us to help her make a compensation claim for her son. We investigated his treatment.  Our experts believed that if he had received correct antibiotic treatment in hospital seven hours earlier, he would have survived his meningitis without any lasting disability.

The defendant hospital admitted that there was a negligent delay in commencing antibiotic treatment but they denied that the delay in antibiotic treatment had caused the child’s injury. We issued court proceedings. The defendant then admitted full liability for our client’s injuries and we secured a judgment on liability. After careful evaluation of our client’s needs arising from his disability, we were able to negotiate a substantial settlement.

If you are caring for a child with severe disability arising from negligent treatment of meningitis, contact us by email at mednegclaims@boyesturner.com.