Out of court settlement for parents of child who was injured at birth

A damages action taken by the parents of a four year old boy whose right arm was paralysed at the time of his birth, has been settled out of court.

Mr Justice Vivian Lavin approved the €800,000 settlement reached between David and Deirdre Staunton from Blackrock in Dublin and consultant obstetrician Valerie Donnolly at Mount Carmel Hospital in South Dublin.

Their son Michael was born in September 2002, and it was claimed that he suffered a severe injury which affected all five spinal nerves in his neck on the right hand side.

The court heard he is now disabled as a result.

Afterwards the couple said they were happy with the outcome and that they would be donating €3,000 to the Central Remedial Clinic, which has been treating their son.