So – what’s worse than hearing about an incident where negligence has led to an individual suffering? Well, perhaps many of you will agree that it’s worse when the individual is a child. We all know that children are generally more susceptible to bumps, scratches and scrapes; it’s a part of growing up. But when they suffer due to the negligence of another and it could have been prevented, particularly in an environment where children are known to be, it’s a little harder to hear about.
According to sources from the BBC (source), the mother of the Godstone Farm E. coli twins is suing the petting farm they came in to contact with the bacteria from for negligently causing a significant amount of suffering and damage. I am sure many of you have heard of this story, round and about, in the press over the last 6-9 months, so you may know just how serious this is.
The outbreak of e-coli at the petting farm last year resulted in a total of 93 infected persons, with 76 of these children aged under 10. Several of the families involved are taking legal action against the owner of the farm following a report from the health chief concluding that a substantial number of the cases at the petting farm could have been prevented. The twin boys, Todd and Aaron, spent several weeks in hospital and have been sadly left with severe kidney problems. According to the report, Todd has been left with 80% kidney function and Aaron left with 64% and requiring a feeding tube for liquids. It is not yet known whether either of the children will require kidney transplants in the future.
The solicitors representing the children issued proceedings against the farm, bringing a damages claim for personal injury and consequential loss. The source also states that in the recent report, the Health Protection Agency ‘missed a key opportunity to take action to restrict the size of the outbreak’. Apparently, the farm remained open even when the organisation was aware of a few cases of people contracting the bug. The report states this was an “unacceptable delay”, with the head of the HPA Justin McCracken stating he is “very sorry” for their failure to restrict the size of the outbreak. The safety measures employed by the farm have also been described as “inadequate”, in that they require visitors to wash their hands as their primary preventative measure.
This is truly a shocking story. The consequences of the seemingly clear failures of the parties involved have led to permanent and life-altering injuries for two young children, who are likely to miss out on countless life experiences and conveniences we all take for granted. The fact that this could have been avoided is unacceptable.
For expert legal advice on claiming for compensation as a result of another person or companies negligence, speak to a specialist personal injury lawyer for the assistance you require.
