A 27-year-old man who sued over his care after his birth at a Limerick Hospital has settled his High Court action for €3 million.
Kennedy O’Brien’s Counsel Dr John O Mahony SC told the court it was an enormously complex case.
The settlement was without admission of liability. Counsel said part of their case was that it was allegedly in excess of three hours before the baby’s blood sugar levels were appropriately monitored after Kennedy’s birth at St Munchin’s Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick in 1993.
It was their case that following Kennedy’s delivery there was an alleged failure to feed him within the first hour after birth and or to test or monitor blood sugar levels in a timely manner.
The alleged absence of monitoring after delivery until the baby was over three hours of age it was claimed allegedly lead to a significant delay in responding to Kennedy’s severe hypoglycaemia which in turn , it was alleged adversely affected his long-term neurological outcome.
Approving the settlement Mr Justice Kevin Cross said it was a very complicated case and he said the €3 million settlement which had been reached after mediation was a very good one.
Kennedy O’Brien, Knockbrack West, Lisnagry, Co Limerick had through his mother Helen Egan O’Brien sued the HSE over his care after his birth in September 1993.
The claims were denied.
Kennedy’s father told the court the family were very pleased with the legal process to date and with the mediation which had come up with this settlement. His son, he said, needs continuous support and “we are there for him .”
