4 largest personal injury settlements in UK history

Personal injury settlements can range from an apology to a massive sum of money. The largest settlements tend to be associated with horrific injuries, gross medical negligence, and a lifetime of assisted living and lost wages. Here are the four largest personal injury settlements in UK history. We’ll also address the reasons why these settlements were so large.

Maisha Najeeb

Maisha Najeeb was ten when she was the victim of severe medical malpractice. Instead of injecting dye into her brain while treating a rare medical condition to see where blood was flowing, glue was injected into the brain artery. This caused horrific brain damage, leaving the girl in a wheelchair and needing assistance with all aspects of her life for the rest of her life.

The 24 million pound settlement thus reflects the lifetime cost of care for a severely brain-damaged child. The hospital’s negligence was lacking a system for distinguishing between those syringes containing dye and those containing glue, though injecting glue into an artery instead of dye is certain to cause problems.

The family received a £2.8 million lump sum, £383,000 a year until Maisha turns 19, and then £423,000 a year for the rest of her life. The 24 million pound settlement figure is based on the assumption she receives those amounts for the rest of her expected life to age 64. Medical negligence UK experts see this as the largest personal injury settlement in history.

Agnes Collier

Agnes Collier was 13 when left completely paralyzed after a severe spinal injury in a car crash in 2009. The spinal injuries were rated the most severe possible. She retained significant brain function, which is why she was able to attend college.

The court awarded her a £7.25 million lump sum plus £270,000 a year. This is expected to total up to 23 million pounds paid out over the rest of her life. At the time it was awarded, it was believed to be the highest ever personal injury settlement. The case was compounded by the death of her mother and brain injuries by her brother who recovered better than Agnes did. The best medical negligence solicitors seek the full settlement the family deserves, whether or not someone died in the accident or was merely left disabled.

Milly Evans

Milly Evans was left with cerebral palsy after medical negligence during her 2001 birth. Her heart rate wasn’t properly monitored, and there was a delay in delivering her though noticeably in distress. She then suffered an under-treated seizure that caused permanent brain damage. If delivered sooner, the entire disaster may have been avoided.

She is unable to speak and has limited use of her arms and legs. The settlement is intended to pay for her care for the rest of her life. The 2012 settlement paid out 5.9 million pounds plus future costs expected to reach 10.8 million pounds over a lifetime. Her family receives 140,000 pounds a year until she turns 19 and then £204,000 a year afterward for the rest of her life.

The family uses the money to pay for hoists in the family home, special equipment, full time care and specialised transport. The settlement also offsets the loss of a lifetime of earnings. The United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust says its guidelines have changed since then.

When potentially dealing with medical negligence claims, UK residents should know that mistakes like this can have horrific consequences, and seeking compensation is possible even when it is an honest mistake. Often, teams like The Medical Negligence Experts allow possible future clients to contact them on a phone line, in order to receive free advice as to whether they could claim or not, as well as offering services a no win no fee basis. Due to this, if you think you might have a claim, it's worth contacting professionals for free advice if it's available.

Medical negligence lawyers routinely secure comparable settlements that cover lost wages, medical care and the cost of assistance for their clients, ensuring they can receive everything they need without their families having to give up everything to take care of them.
Medical negligence solicitors routinely see large settlements in birth injury cases, though this medical negligence claim is the largest in this category.

Manny Helmot

Manny Helmot was a Commonwealth Games cyclist. In 1998, he was knocked from his bike. He was left partially blind, lost use of his right arm and spent 36 weeks in the hospital recovering from a brain injury. In reality, the brain damage had lasting effects, leaving him unable to work and requiring 24 hour care for the remainder of his life. The tragedy is that he cannot ride his bike again, since this was his passion.

His family sued the driver’s insurance company. He was awarded 13.75 million pounds in 2010. Most of this money goes to pay for his round-the-clock care. This is partially to compensate his mother for having to quit her job to take care of him and modify the family home to accommodate him. It was the biggest ever compensation settlement at the time it was awarded.

Conclusion

Medical negligence cases result from everything from birth injuries to minor mistakes in the ER to failure to deliver care. The award for UK medical negligence cases depends on the severity of the injury, the associated costs for care and equipment and whether or not the impact lasts a lifetime.