Brain Damaged Woman Awarded £4.4m

16 Oct 2009

A woman from County Durham has been awarded more than £4 million after medical mistakes left her unable to remember anything for more than 10 minutes.

Sandy Malcolm, husband of Cristina, said although it was a "huge relief" to be awarded the money, their lives had been "torn apart" after Cristina was left permanently brain-damaged. What is now suspected as a brain haemorrhage was misdiagnosed by medics as a virus.

Cristina is now totally dependent on Sandy, who was her full-time carer up until a year ago when they received some outside help. The couple's hopes of having children have now been made impossible in practice.

Speaking after agreeing a £4.46 million settlement, Sandy said: "Cristina could have received this care much earlier if the defendant's lawyers had admitted liability earlier and had come to a settlement."

His wife collapsed at home in July 2002 with a severe headache, which she described as the "worst of her life", but she was misdiagnosed. Two weeks later she suffered a more serious haemorrhage and was rushed to Newcastle General Hospital where she underwent life-saving surgery to remove half a litre of blood from her brain.

John Davis, partner and serious injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell, pursued a compensation claim for gross clinical negligence.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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