Recently, an Ohio jury awarded a mother and her son $14.5 million in a birth injury lawsuit. According to reports, the child sustained a serious brain hemorrhage following a delay in delivery and now suffers from serious life long conditions including cerebral palsy, cognitive delays and visual impairment.
The jury determined that the boy's injuries were the result of medical negligence. The verdict will cover costs associated with paying for a lifetime of care.
If you believe your child suffered a birth injury as the result of care received before, during or after delivery, we urge you to consult with an experienced Los Angeles birth injury lawyer right away. A skilled and compassionate medical malpractice attorney can begin an investigation into all of the factors that may have caused or contributed to an injury occurring.
In this instance, the woman had a history of preterm birth. Her previous child was delivered at 32 weeks. Here, she initially went into labor at 24 weeks, but was able to stop labor from progressing with bedrest. However, her water broke a few weeks later and was admitted to the hospital. Despite her and her doctor's agreement that she should get a cesarean section, the attending obstetrician failed to follow these directions and maintained that the baby was okay. However, the infant showed signs of fetal distress and when he was delivered several hours later, he had sustained a massive brain injury.
The jury determined that the delay in delivery was a cause of this harm, and as a result found the attending obstetrician negligent and responsible to pay damages to the family to help them throughout the boy's life.
Most doctors act admirably and labor and deliveries are without complication. However, even under the best circumstances emergencies arise and medical staff are required to perform at a requisite standard of care. The failure to adhere to this standard may be grounds for negligence.
For more information, or if you believe your child suffered harm as the result of medical negligence, please contact the top Los Angeles birth injury lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.
