Blake Lapthorn secures settlement for client in clinical
negligence claim against Oxford University Hospitals NHS
Trust
Blake Lapthorn, one of the leading law firms in the UK, is
pleased to announce that it has secured settlement for the full
value of the claim for its client Louisa Ravouvou against Oxford
University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Louisa Ravouvou, who was born on 31 October 2003, is severely
handicapped. She suffers from severe spastic quadriplegic cerebral
palsy with dystonic movements in her arms and legs. She is
wheel-chair bound and cannot sit, stand or walk unaided. She has
bulbar muscle involvement that means she has no speech. She is fed
by means of thickened feeds in a bottle and has severe learning
difficulties and no useful vision. She also has epilepsy.
On 2 May 2012 the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, now the
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Great Western Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust admitted jointly that breaches of duty of care
at the time of Louisa's birth caused her disabilities.
At this stage, the amount of compensation that Louisa will
receive has not been determined. She presently lives at the family
home with her parents and siblings and the award will enable the
family to purchase suitable accommodation, adapt it, buy aids and
appliances and provide the care, support and therapies that Louisa
will need for the rest of her life.
This is a matter where Louisa suffered bleeding in her brain
whilst she was in her mother's womb. When her mother was admitted
to the John Radcliffe Hospital, the hospital failed to respond
appropriately to the bleed and Mrs Ravouvou remained in hospital
for a week. It was decided on 31 October 2003 that Louisa should be
delivered. Louisa was transferred to the Great Western Hospital
because there were no Special Care beds in the Unit at Oxford.
The Great Western was advised that Louisa was likely to be
anaemic but there was a breach of duty of care on the part of the
Great Western in failing to make appropriate arrangements for
Louisa to receive a blood transfusion within half-an-hour of
delivery. As a result of these failures, Louisa collapsed soon
after birth and suffered catastrophic brain damage.
When proceedings were issued, both Trusts admitted breaches of
duty of care in failing to recognise and respond appropriately to
the anaemia. However, both denied that the bleed was responsible
for Louisa's disabilities until shortly before a planned meeting to
try to negotiate settlement where the case was listed for trial
only a few weeks after that date.
Sue Jarvis, the partner at Blake Lapthorn who is acting for
Louisa and who leads the firm's Clinical Negligence team in Oxford,
said: "Louisa's family were very relieved that the Trusts had
eventually accepted that their actions were responsible for
Louisa's disabilities, and are pleased that care will be provided
for the whole of Louisa's life."
If you are the parent of adults or children with cerebral palsy,
please contact Sue Jarvis, head of Blake Lapthorn's
Cerebral Palsy team in Oxford, on 01865 254 293
or email her at sue.jarvis@bllaw.co.uk
for a confidential discussion.
