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12 June 2008 / B Mahendra
Issue: 7325 / Categories: Features , Personal injury , Mental health
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Trauma
Assessment
Mental Disorder

Earnings loss after trauma

In Jones (Administratrix of the Estate of Bron Bawdon- Jones) v Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust [2008] EWHC 558, [2008] All ER (D) 313 (Mar), the claimant, then aged 31, had given birth to a baby girl. It had been a protracted and complicated labour, the baby eventually being delivered by vacuum extraction. It had suffered severe brain damage as a result of lack of oxygen. It was said to have been effectively dead at birth but had been resuscitated. The prognosis was hopeless and life support had been turned off after she had survived just 25 hours.

The defendants had admitted breach of duty. The issue was in relation to damages for personal injury sought by the claimant who alleged significant and ongoing psychiatric injury and consequential losses including loss of earnings and pension loss. The defendants contested these claims with vigour.

Conflicting evidence
The psychiatric evidence that was produced was conflicting. One expert had said the claimant had suffered post traumatic stress

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