A family has won an undisclosed settlement from Middlesbrough Council after a baby suffered serious head injuries when he was tipped from a high chair by a disabled child.
The council admitted it had failed to control the autistic child who tipped over a highchair holding 12-month-old Jack Cooper.
Jack, now 11, was thrown head first onto the floor while still strapped into the chair at a cafe in Morrisons at Teesside Park in March 2005.
Jack was left deaf after suffering serious head injuries and will need some level of care and treatment, as well as specialist equipment, for the rest of his life.
Middlesbrough Council was responsible for the management of Beverley School, in Saltersgil Avenue, a school for children with autistic spectrum disorders at which the child was a pupil.
Jack’s mum, Debbie Patience, 45, has had a long running battle for compensation and today, nearly ten years on from the incident, the high court has approved an undisclosed settlement from Middlesbrough Council.
Ms Patience said today: “Jack is now just getting on with things the best he can but the settlement is a massive relief for us as it means he can get some specialist help with equipment and also some therapies to help him in future.
“This is vital funding which means we can look positively to the future and help Jack to get the very best from life.”
Rebecca Maddock, an expert serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Jack, said: “This was an unusual incident in which Jack suffered very serious and life-changing injuries when he was just a year old.
“The school overseen by the council could have supervised the autistic child better which may have prevented Jack from being tipped from his chair.
“Jack will be likely to need help for the rest of his life and the settlement is based on expert medical evidence about his potential future needs. Hopefully it will give the family peace of mind that he will now receive the help he needs to realise his full potential.”
Middlesbrough Council has been contacted for comment.
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