‘Child in man’s body’ gets €4.5m in damages

A HIGH Court judge has approved a €4.5 million settlement for a man who is severely brain damaged and “a child in a man’s body” after suffering viral encephalitis as a result of a viral infection, herpes simplex.

The settlement includes payments for Martin O’Brien’s family and was made without admission of liability.

Mr O’Brien, 45, his wife Anna Marie, and their children Rachel and Benjamin, of Laurel Park, Newcastle, Galway, had sued the HSE and a number of doctors over his treatment between late January 1996 and late March 1996.