Verdicts & Settlements: Other Errors by Medical Professionals
Without proper care, attention, and integrity, medical professionals are subject to a number of human mistakes that, unfortunately, result in devastating diagnoses, injuries, and deaths among new infants and mothers. In this section, our birth injury lawyers at Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys briefly share some of the past settlements and verdicts for cases regarding miscellaneous instanced of medical malpractice and other errors by medical professionals. If you know a mother or child that was injured by anesthesia mistakes, fetal monitoring issues, failures to address urgent obstetrical situations, or other errors made by medical professionals, please reach out to our legal professionals. To ask questions, inquire about a case, or to determine if you or a loved one are eligible for compensation for medical malpractice, call Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys toll-free at (888) 592-1857 or fill out our online contact form.
1. Family Wins $5 Million
Baby Left Unmonitored in NICU Develops Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) with Resultant Cerebral Palsy and Lifelong Mental and Physical Impairments
This case handled an instance of medical malpractice regarding the actions of medical professionals in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). After thriving in the NICU for two and a half week, Plaintiff minor suddenly developed neurological changes and body temperature instability. Five different NICU nurses documented the changes without alerting medical staff until the next morning when the baby crashed. Once the crash occurred, the baby underwent intubation. Unfortunately, the baby had already experienced brain damage and the onset of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). When he was released from the NICU, the baby was diagnosed with lifelong cerebral palsy and other mental and physical deficits.
2. Twin Wins $2.1 Million
Incorrect Anesthesia Dose Leads to Delayed Emergency C-Section with Resultant Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Delays, and Speech Impairments
In this case, a medical professional mistakenly administered the wrong dose of anesthesia to a mother before her vaginal delivery with twins. The anesthesia resulted in maternal numbness below the waist, so the mother was forced to wait until the anesthetic subsided before delivering. During the delivery, complications occurred and the delayed emergency C-section resulted in brain damage from birth asphyxia with resultant cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and speech impairments.
3. Child Wins $3.9 Million
Fetal Monitoring Errors and Failure to Offer C-Section Lead to Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) with Resultant Cerebral Palsy and Intellectual Impairments
In this case, the mother went into labor with a baby in the face presentation, a condition that requires additional fetal monitoring and often necessitates C-section delivery. The hospital’s fetal monitor had a history of mistaking maternal heart beats with fetal heart beats, so the manufacturer recommended the supplementary use of a pulse oximeter. The hospital failed to use a pulse oximeter and medical professionals failed to offer the option of Cesarean delivery, and the baby was born with facial bruising and injuries from oxygen deprivation. She was diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE; birth asphyxia), cerebral palsy, and intellectual impairments.
Video: Fetal Monitoring Errors, Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, and Medical Malpractice
Andrea Shea, the on-site registered labor and delivery nurse at Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys, explains how the failure of medical professionals to properly monitor the fetus’ heart rate during labor and delivery can result in dangerous birth injuries including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, and infant brain damage. To view the video, press the play link below: