A young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy was recently awarded over $32 million. In 2009, the child's mother went into labor, but complications arose when the baby's heart rate dropped. The award stems from a lawsuit claiming two Pennsylvania nurses committed hospital negligence that caused the child's injuries.
Reportedly, nurses who were on duty were well aware of the dropped heart rate when they came into the birthing room, but 13 minutes went by before either of them notified a physician. Eventually, the baby suffered from lack of oxygen that led to brain damage after it took 30 minutes to deliver, following the initial complications. This incident resulted in long-term damages to the child who now has developmental delays.
The child's voluntary movements of certain body parts are restricted, and she has repeated spasms in her legs and arms. One of the defendants, a physician, was not found to be negligent in this case. The jury determined that the two nurses were negligent and their actions did, in fact, cause the child to suffer brain damage. The child's mother is relieved from the verdict and is grateful that she can afford to get her daughter's needed medical care.
Hospital negligence can cause a number of injuries and long-term complications. In this case, the child suffered brain damage, which will likely affect her for the rest of her life. Evidence presented proved that medical staff were negligent in this incident. Pennsylvania families who have experienced a birth injury or similar experience may have the right to file medical malpractice claims against the medical staff and/or hospital. Doing so can help families gain the financial relief they need and deserve.
Source: mcall.com, Nurses found negligent as jury awards brain-damaged child $32.8M, No author, Jan. 22, 2014