A 12-year-old girl and her family is set to receive a cerebral palsy settlement of £15 million, nearly $20 million in U.S. dollars.

The girl is Holly G., who was born with cerebral palsy. According to the BBC, Holly’s family filed a lawsuit against England’s NHS trust, responsible for running the hospital where she was born, alleging that her cerebral palsy is a birth injury caused by negligence at the hospital.

Indeed, the lawsuit alleges that Holly’s brain was starved of oxygen prior to her birth, leading to an injury causing her ongoing cerebral palsy.

The lack of oxygen resulted from negligence on the medical staff’s part, the lawsuit claims. Had the parents recognized the potential complications, the birth would have been more effectively managed and the baby may have been delivered without injury.

The cerebral palsy settlement means that, while the hospital and the trust have not admitted any liability in this case, the case has still been brought to an end with a settlement award.

The cerebral palsy settlement is meant to provide financial compensation for Holly’s injuries, which include communication issues and other problems. She has undergone expensive stem cell treatment.

The court awarded the cerebral palsy settlement in parts. Around a third will be given to the family in a lump sum, and more will be given annually. The cerebral palsy settlement comes after a decade-long battle since Holly’s birth.

Birth Injury Lawsuits

Every year, hundreds of families are affected by a variety of birth injuries. Many birth injuries are unavoidable, but in other cases, these injuries may have been encouraged by medical malpractice. After a birth injury, some families choose to file lawsuits over negligence or medical malpractice, hoping that compensation from such a lawsuit will help them with medical expenses going forward.

Hundreds of families like Holly’s file lawsuits each year after they realize their child suffered a birth injury, potentially due to negligence or even medical malpractice. Families hope that compensation from a birth injury lawsuit will help them with medical expenses going forward.

Common birth injuries include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Oxygen deprivation
• Mental retardation
• Erb’s palsy
• Klumpke’s palsy
• Brachial plexus
• Retinopathy of prematurity

Of course, not all birth injuries are the result of medical malpractice. For many children, these things just happen, especially when delivered using obstetrical forceps, vacuum extraction, or cesarean section. For others, however, injuries like substantial nerve damage during birth may have been avoided with the proper care. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help you find answers.

If your child has suffered from a birth injury caused by lack of neonatal cooling therapy or other problem, you may be able to file a lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of these conditions, a financial award like this cerebral palsy settlement can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.