THE HIGH Court has awarded more than €170,000 damages to a mother arising from the death of her two-year-old daughter at a Dublin hospital as a result of contracting meningitis.
Mr Justice Iarfhlaith Ó Neill ruled Natalie Courtney (28) was entitled to €150,000 damages as a result of injuries suffered from witnessing the shocking and tragic death of her daughter Aisling at Our Lady’s hospital, Crumlin.
Ms Courtney was also entitled to the costs of legal representation at the inquest into the child’s death, he ruled.
Ms Courtney, of Galtymore Close, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, sued the hospital for nervous shock arising from Aisling’s death at the hospital on February 19th, 2006.
Liability was admitted and the case was before the court for assessment of damages only.
The court heard Aisling was admitted to the hospital late during the night of February 18th, 2006 as she was hallucinating and complaining of a sore neck. She was examined and later developed a rash on her back.
Her mother requested attention throughout that night and a doctor who examined Aisling said she had a 24-hour viral gastric bug and was dehydrated, it was stated.
On the morning of February 19th, Aisling was put on a drip but developed purple spots. Her mother was then informed the child was being treated for meningitis. Aisling’s condition deteriorated and she was brought to the Intensive Care Unit but she died of a heart attack about 10.25am.
Ms Courtney, who was with her daughter for almost all the time she was in hospital, claimed she suffered injuries including depressive injuries as a result of witnessing her child’s death.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Ó Neill found her injuries were caused by exposure to and experiencing of “the shockingly traumatic sequence of circumstances in the hospital, culminating in the child’s death”. The judge accepted that she had become “socially withdrawn”, and had “feelings of guilt and anger at what she perceived to be her own failure to have intervened and taken appropriate action”. The fact the defendant had not conceded liability until late last year greatly aggravated Ms Courtney’s feelings in that regard, the judge added.