The High Court has approved a settlement of almost €1m in an action brought by the parents of a nine-year-old boy who suffered shoulder and hand injuries during his birth.
The boy's mother, 45-year-old Una Byron from Upper Strand Street in Youghal, Co Cork is taking a separate action for trauma.
She claims she underwent a 'horrific childbirth' which left her son John physically disabled.
The court was told that the case brought on behalf of John had been settled for €900,000.
Senior counsel for the Byrons, Paul Sreenan said liability had been admitted by obstetrician Vincent Fenton and the Southern Health Board and there had been a substantial apology.
He said the parents had given it a lot of thought and had decided to accept it rather than gamble with their son's money.
Earlier, senior counsel for the defendants, Eoin McCullough, told the court his clients were very sorry for what had occurred.
Ms Justice Maureen Harding Clark said it was a very good settlement. She said she was very impressed by John who suffers from Erb's palsy, which involves paralysis and loss of function to his right hand.
She said he was clearly not intellectually disabled; he was a clever, handsome, articulate little man and deserved the settlement she said.
It is the highest award ever in the case of an Erb's palsy medical negligence damages claim.
Mrs Byron claims the obstetrician, Mr Fenton, failed in his duties by failing to carry out a caesarean section and in appropriately using a forceps to deliver her son.
The defendants have also admitted liability in this case and her action is for damages only.
