Recently, a jury awarded $21M to the family whose son suffers cerebral palsy as the result of medical errors at birth. According to legal news, the obstetrician in charge of the mother and child's care failed to perform a timely C-section despite signs of fetal distress, depriving the child of necessary oxygen at birth. The jury determined that this deprivation caused a brain injury, leading to cerebral palsy. Based on this finding, the jury awarded the family $21 million in damages.
If you have questions about cerebral palsy, or other birth injury you believe may have been caused by medical malpractice, consulting with an experienced Los Angeles birth injury lawyer is important to begin an investigation into the facts surrounding your particular case.
Here, facts presented at trial revealed that both the mother and child had high blood pressure – a condition that put both at risk. As a result, the doctor decided to induce labor. While in labor, the fetal heart monitor revealed that the baby's oxygen levels were low – a condition that requires immediate action such as a C-section - according to evidence at trial.
However, the doctor failed to act promptly and allowed the labor to continue for an additional three hours. When the child was finally delivered, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and he had suffered oxygen deprivation.
The money will help defray the costs of medical care for the child's lifetime, and improve the child's quality of life.
For more information or if you or a loved one has suffered harm as the result of medical malpractice, contact our compassionate and knowledgeable Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate, confidential consultation.
