Woman takes overdoes, gets brain damage and sues NHS for £2.8 million

[CHAPPERS]

A woman who suffered brain damage after taking an overdose has accepted £2.8m damages from an ambulance service over delays in reaching her.

Claire Burchell, 25, was living in Cleveleys, Lancashire, in October 2001 when she took the overdose while suffering from post-natal depression.

She said the ambulance took 30 minutes to reach her and there were "failures" in her treatment en route to hospital.

The trust agreed to pay compensation without admitting liability.

Mrs Burchell, who now lives in Milton Keynes, said in a document produced at the High Court in London that the ambulance should have taken only 10 minutes to arrive at her house.

'Waited four years'

She was suffering depression following the birth of her second child in November 2000.

Mr Justice Newman said it was a "wholly appropriate settlement".

The family's solicitor, Tom Osborne, said following the hearing that "from the time of the emergency call it took half an hour for the ambulance service to locate Mrs Burchell".

He added: "The family has had to wait four years for an agreed settlement and after their tragic experience we are relieved they have not had to endure the trauma of a trial."





You take an overdose, it's your own fault if you get brain damage you f***ing MONG. If you're gonna sue anybody sue yourself.

Jeez.

 

[Lammy]

That has totally depressed me.

This country

 

[Bwian]

If that's true, shouldn't she be prosecuted?

Failed suicide attempts are against the law aren't they? A £2.8 million fine sounds about right...

 

[Easy 10]

f*** SAKE
And £2.8m in CASH leaving the NHS and going straight in that stupid bitches back pocket is REALLY going to help things improve, isn't it. Next time someone in her district kicks the bucket cos of a lack of funding at her local hospital, old/out of date equipment/not enough doctors/nurses, she wants to remember that.

Would've been better all round if she'd just died.

 

[ManOnTheRun]

I wonder how many Nurses / Operations / Life saving treatments £2.8m would buy you ...

What a bunch of absolute COCK!

 

[Stumpy Tim]

My usual reaction is to defend the "victim". But that's plain ridiculous

 

[SK1NT]

stoopid money grabbing bitch. thats ridiculous, if only she did just die.

 

[Yorkie]

Playing devils advocate here.

She has brain damage so not likely to be in a position to sue herself.
She will probably need care for the rest of her life so the family has probably sued on her behalf to pay for the care.

 

[Grendel]

She has brain damage so not likely to be in a position to sue herself.
She will probably need care for the rest of her life so the family has probably sued on her behalf to pay for the care.

And whose fault is that?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Playing devils advocate here.

She has brain damage so not likely to be in a position to sue herself.
She will probably need care for the rest of her life so the family has probably sued on her behalf to pay for the care.

Why didn't they sue her then?

 

[Yorkie]

And whose fault is that?

I'm not saying who's fault it is.
She will probably be in a vegetable state (brainwise) and need 24 hour care.

 

[Yorkie]

Why didn't they sue her then?

No idea. Maybe they should have done. Most people are covered by their public liability on their household insurance.

 

[Simster]

She might decide to sue, but it doesn't mean she will win does it?

I'd argue that 30 minutes isn't a particularly long time anyway to wait for an ambulance.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Playing devils advocate here.

She has brain damage so not likely to be in a position to sue herself.
She will probably need care for the rest of her life so the family has probably sued on her behalf to pay for the care.

She has brain damage because SHE took an overdose. ON PURPOSE!

If she was an innocent victim whose brain damage was caused by gross negligence on behalf of the NHS then, yes, you could sue. Not, however, if you try to kill yourself. Someone should sue her for wasting half an hour of the ambulance crew's time- time that could have been better sent looking after someone who hadn't tried to top themselves.

 

[CHAPPERS]

She might decide to sue, but it doesn't mean she will win does it?

I'd argue that 30 minutes isn't a particularly long time anyway to wait for an ambulance.

They've settled out of court for 2.8, sorry should have made that clear.

 

[Grendel]

I'm not saying who's fault it is.
She will probably be in a vegetable state (brainwise) and need 24 hour care.

She shouldn't have taken an overdose then. It's not as if the ambulance service coshed her round the head repeatedly and brain damaged her - she tried to do herself in. Her and her parasitic family ought to accept that, rather than trying to blame the ambulance service and robbing the NHS of funds.

 

[tedebear]

I don't agree with the £2.8M but no-one and I repeat NO-ONE should belittle a person with depression - post-natal or otherwise...

Depression makes people do very sad and lonely things to themselves - anyone here would expect help if they had depression so we can't and shouldn't judge her for that.....

 

[Yorkie]

I don't agree with the £2.8M but no-one and I repeat NO-ONE should belittle a person with depression - post-natal or otherwise...

Depression makes people do very sad and lonely things to themselves - anyone here would expect help if they had depression so we can't and shouldn't judge her for that.....

I agree. Men wouldn't understand just how devasting post natal depression can be.
I haven't had it myself but have seen the effects on others.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Men wouldn't understand just how devasting post natal depression can be.
I haven't had it myself but have seen the effects on others.

Eh? You haven't had it yet you know more than a man would about it?

How's that work?

 

[Yorkie]

Eh? You haven't had it yet you know more than a man would about it?

How's that work?

Being with women who have had it.