Family awarded payout following man’s hospital brain injury

Posted: November 8, 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries Medical Negligence 

The family of a man who suffered serious brain damage after choking on his vomit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been awarded undisclosed damages by the Trust. 33-year-old Ross Askew was originally admitted to hospital on New Year’s Day 2010 with complaints of abdominal pain, he was diagnosed with severe necrotising pancreatitis. However, when he choked on his own vomit, he suffered a severe brain injury and subsequently required 24hr care.

It was heard that Mr Askew had been fighting a recurring brain tumour at the time of the accident. When he began to choke, he went into cardiac arrest, causing his brain to be starved of oxygen. University Birmingham Hospitals Trust failed to admit liability for the care failing, but did provide the family with a settlement.

‘Substandard’ care

Mr Askew’s mother, Carol, has spoken out about the hospital’s ‘substandard’ care, adding: “We are bitterly disappointed that the Trust did not accept responsibility for the failings in his treatment.”

The brain injury left Mr Askew requiring around the clock care. He was completely unable to move independently or look after himself. A UHB spokeswoman stated that Mr Askew died in October 2011 from complications related to his brain tumour. She added that his death had nothing to do with the treatment he received at the hospital’s High Dependency Unit in 2010. She added: “We offer our sympathies to the Askew family.”

If you have been affected by medical negligence or have suffered a brain injury, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us. 

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