€2.4m award for brain damaged girl

A seven year old girl who as a baby suffered brain damage due to water on the brain has settled her High Court action with an interim payment of €2.4m for the next 10 years.

A High Court judge had previously found the condition which caused damage to Ava Kiernan as a baby would have been detected if a public nurse during regular check ups had taken appropriate action.

Ava through her mother Ruth Kiernan, of Cillcarbin, Duleek , Co Meath, had sued the HSE for negligence claiming her serious neurological symptoms which were attributable to hydrocephalus- water on the brain- were caused by the failure to detect the condition prior to its causing significant damage.