£575,000 for Girl Left With Disability After Birth

A girl has won a settlement of £575,000 after complications during her birth left her with a disabled arm.

When Zahra Salim-Jaffer, now 16, was born, the nerves supplying blood to her shoulder and arm were damaged due to shoulder dystocia, a complication during childbirth where the shoulder becomes stuck during delivery. She now suffers from Erb’s Palsy, a condition involving paralysis of the arm which commonly results from dystocia.

She has undergone a number of operations in an attempt to improve her condition. However, she is still unable to carry out some everyday tasks.

A claim was brought against the hospital trust involved. When the case came to the High Court, Ms Salim-Jaffer’s lawyers contended that medical staff had failed to follow the recommended procedures for delivering a baby when shoulder dystocia occurs.

The hospital trust admitted that there had been failures in Ms Salim-Jaffer’s care and apologised to her and her family. They also agreed to pay £575,000 in damages.