20-year-old injured at birth settles High Court action for €8.5m

Shannon O'Farrell- Molloy, who has a brain injury, can walk and talk, and the High Court heard has come on extremely well in recent years.

Her counsel Bruce Antoniotti SC told Mr Justice Kevin Cross in the days before Shannon's delivery everything was normal.

He said it was their claim that there was an alleged failure to monitor the fetal heartbeat between 8am and 9.10am on the morning the baby was delivered. Shannon, he said was born at 9.30 am on July 18, 1997.

Counsel pointed out that at the hospital once it was discovered that something was amiss, action was taken quickly and there was no criticism by his side in relation to that.Liability he said was at issue in the case, and a full defence was filed by the HSE.

He said Shannon was able to walk and talk and has great ambitions for herself. He said she has come on extremely well in the last number of years and she had got devoted care from her family. Shannon's mother told the court she was happy with the settlement and Shannon also said she was happy with it.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Kevin Cross said it was a very good settlement indeed, and he said Shannon now has all the support she needs going into the future.

Shannon O'Farrell-Molloy, Kayle, Foulksmills, Co Wexford had through her mother Sandra Maguire Molloy sued the HSE over the circumstances of her birth at Wexford General Hosptial on July 18, 1997.

It was claimed Shannon's mother was admitted to Wexford General Hospital on the day before the birth and monitoring of the fetal heartbeat with CTG was commenced.

It was claimed that on the morning the child was born there was an alleged failure to monitor the fetal heartbeat between 8am and 9.10am and there was an alleged failure to adequately or at all manage the labour and delivery.

It was further claimed the baby was allegedly delivered far too late.

The claims were denied.