Damages may cover surrogacy costs

A woman left unable to bear children because of a medical blunder has won a landmark damages claim to pay for a surrogate birth. Patricia Briody, 45, spent the last ten years battling with both the medical and legal establishments through a series of court hearings - even, at one stage, representing herself. The case, which ended last week, will make legal history if the court takes account of the cost of a surrogacy arrangement in deciding the amount of damages. Commentators say this is likely. Mrs Briody is currently undergoing tests at a fertility clinic in London to ascertain the possibility of using her own eggs in the surrogacy arrangement.