A NINE-year-old girl who was born prematurely following a car crash has launched a battle for compensation.

Karen Cook was 28 weeks pregnant and travelling in her fiancé David Cook’s car when they were involved in a crash in January 2001.

She was rushed to hospital, and her daughter Jamie-Rae was born prematurely by emergency Caesarean section and needed a tube inserted to take fluid away from her brain.

But, according to a writ, when she was three the tube became blocked and her doctor Elizabeth Walker, of the Wallingford Medical Practice, failed to diagnose the condition.

As a result of pressure on her brain, she became totally blind and suffered brain damage, the writ said.

Mrs Cook, of Station Road, Cholsey, is claiming damages from Mr Cook, saying his driving was negligent, and from Dr Walker. Mr Cook was convicted of driving without due care and attention.

Without the accident, Jamie-Rae would not have been born prematurely with all that then ensued, her legal team argue.