It is difficult to fathom the devastation experienced by a family whose child has been injured at birth due to medical negligence. What should have been a joyful and exciting event becomes a tragedy that has life-long impact. In Hawaii and all other states, a parent whose infant has suffered a birth injury because of a doctor’s negligence can seek justice on behalf of the child by filing a legal claim in civil court.
A court in another state recently ruled in favor of parents whose baby suffered permanent brain damage because of a negligent doctor in 2011. The judge held the doctor liable for $30 million. Apparently, he was on-call but at home when the 28-week pregnant woman needed emergency help at the hospital.
The woman had gone to the hospital because she noticed a decrease in her baby’s movements. She was admitted, and medical staff communicated the situation to the doctor. The following day, her baby showed clear signs of distress that would typically necessitate an emergency C-section. The on-call doctor, however, failed to come to the hospital to assist the patient, and it was many hours before the needed C-section was performed.
The baby suffered a serious birth injury that caused permanent brain damage. Now age 11, she is blind, can neither walk nor talk and is fed through a gastrointestinal tube. The court ruled that the doctor was negligent in his failure to arrive at the hospital in a timely manner. There are many parents in Hawaii who have experienced similar tragedies during the births of their children. Any who wish to consider filing legal claims can begin the process by contacting an experienced medical malpractice attorney for guidance.
Source: injurylawyer-news.com, “MA Jury Awards Family $30M for Brain Injury At Birth“, Dawn Snyder, Feb. 25, 2016