A 12-year-old girl who suffered a serious brain injury shortly after birth is to be awarded £2.5 million in damages.
The child from Co Antrim in Northern Ireland, who cannot be identified, became extremely ill after she was born in 2007.
Following complications she sustained a severe brain injury which left her profoundly disabled.
The payout has been approved at the High Court in Belfast as part of a settlement reached in her medical negligence claim against the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.
Lawyers representing the girl's family sued over neonatal care provided by Antrim Area Hospital , Belfast Live reports.
A compromise settlement was reached in the action days before a trial was due to get underway.
Negotiations then centred on the level of damages to cover the care and specialist therapies the girl will require for the rest of her life.
The estimated award of £2.5m, consisting of a lump sum and annual payments, has been approved by Mr Justice Maguire, the child's lawyers confirmed today.
Outside court her solicitor, Harry McAleese of McCartan Turkington Breen, said: "The girl's family are pleased that a settlement could be reached and that a trial was avoided.
"The compensation will allow the family to provide specialist care and assistance required by their child."
