Lawyers acting for the family of man killed by an overdose of a pain relief drug have announced that they will accept a £40,000 payout.
A spokeswoman for Anthony Collins Solicitors said negotiations over legal costs were ongoing, but the compensation figure had been accepted. As part of the settlement, the source of the payout will not be named.
The family started the action after pensioner David Gray, 70, was given a fatal dose of painkiller diamorphine by a locum doctor from Germany.
Daniel Ubani gave him 100mg of the drug, exceeding the recommended daily dose by 10 times, while on his first shift for an out-of-hours service in Cambridgeshire in 2008.
Mr Gray’s son Stuart Gray, also a GP, said: “My father was killed and £40,000 does seem a small sum for the loss of a life, especially when compared to countries like the US. It’s disappointing the value that is put on a life.
“However, we’ve never been interested in the money. The major issue for us is pressing for a change to regulations in this country to prevent a repeat of the situation that led to my father’s death.”
The family are also taking action against the German and UK governments, in the European Court of Human Rights. They claim the handling of the criminal inquiry in Mr Gray’s death violated their human rights.
Cambridgeshire Police started an investigation following the incident and issued a warrant to bring Ubani back to the UK. However, at the same time, legal proceedings had begun in Germany.
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European Court of Human Rights
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