Medical negligence on the part of mental health professionals led to a £6 million personal injury compensation payment after a thirty three year old patient was left with brain damage after he was prescribed the incorrect medication regime.
Colchester, Essex native, Christopher Lines, had been admitted in the summer of 2008 to the Lakes Mental Health Unit, but he lost consciousness for eighteen hours straight after he was administered the wrong medication, accident claim experts recently reported. In the wake of the incident, the man was left with profound brain damage limiting the use of his arms and legs and making it difficult for him to communicate, leaving him nearly completely dependent on outside care.
Thanks to the aid of his family, Mr Lines has since launched a medical negligence claim against the administrators of the mental health facility, the NHS Foundation Trust for North Essex Partnership. At a hearing in London’s High Court, the NHS trust admitted liability for the man’s debilitating brain injuries.
The compensation award to be paid to Mr Lines is thought to handily add up to more than £6 million over time, as the lump sum payment of £2.1 million will be buttressed by yearly payments of £205,000 in order to provide for the life long care needs of the injured man, experts say. In the wake of the High Court hearing, Mr Lines’ father, Steve, remarked that every last pound of the payment will go towards making sure his son has the care he so desperately needs both immediately and for the rest of his life.