A boy who was left with severe brain damage after he was injured in a fall at a children’s nursery has been awarded a sizeable settlement in compensation.

The accident happened when James Pitcher was just nine months old. He fell off a changing table and suffered head injuries that were so serious that he was left quadriplegic. He now has to be fed through a tube, cannot breathe properly and requires 24-hour care. It is thought unlikely that he will live beyond the age of 15.

A compensation claim was brought against the carer and the nursery involved and also against the hospital that treated James, as there was a delay in diagnosing his head injury. Liability for the injuries was admitted by all the parties involved.

Last year, the High Court awarded James’s father, Nigel Pitcher, an interim payment of £320,000 to help James’s family look after him. The money was used to purchase and adapt a property so that his care needs could be met.

The full amount of the claim, however, was only settled recently in the High Court when a confidential agreement was reached and approved by the judge. Lawyers for James had originally asked for more than £5 million in compensation. Settlements in cases where the person injured is very young are normally high.