A Delaware jury in New Castle County Superior Court recently handed down a substantial $3 million verdict to a young boy left permanently disabled by the negligence of his mother’s doctor at Dedicated To Women OB/GYN. The birth injury lawsuit accused the doctor overseeing the delivery of forcefully pulling on the child’s head, causing severe nerve damage to the infant’s right arm that resulted in the limb’s stunted growth and paralysis.
According to the lawsuit, filed in September 2014, complications arose during the mother’s pregnancy, including gestational diabetes, which forced the hospital to induce labor to keep the child safe. Unfortunately, the child’s shoulder became logged in the mother’s pelvis, forcing the attending doctor to take corrective actions.
However, the plaintiff successfully argued the doctor failed to disclose the risks of performing the procedure necessary to free the child. Those adverse outcomes included permanent paralysis and other serious injuries. Furthermore, the doctor improperly applied his technique to dislodge the child, resulting in the child’s permanent disabilities.
As a result of his injuries, the young boy’s right arm is several inches shorter than his left and cannot make full use of hand to perform basic, daily tasks. According to reports, the victim, now nine years old, wants nothing more than to regain full motion in his arm and pursue his favorite hobbies and sports.
Serious birth injuries can result in catastrophic medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, brain damage, learning disabilities, and paralysis. Often times, these types of adverse events occur because doctors failed to follow the medically accepted standard of care for treating patients undergoing medical procedures.
Under the law, doctors must apply accepted medical standards other doctors in the same speciality would use in similar situations. When physicians fail to live up to this legal duty, the consequences can be severe and parents have legal recourse to file a birth injury lawsuit on behalf of the injured child.
While we expect wrongdoers to accept liability for their careless actions and compensate victims with the vital compensation needed for continuing medical treatment, many defendants choose to engage in prolonged litigation. Fortunately, the law gives victims the right to retain experienced medical malpractice injury lawyers to negotiate and prosecute birth injury lawsuits.
At The Cochran Firm, D.C., our experienced and dedicated Washington DC medical malpractice injury lawyers frequently represent clients throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia in their pursuit of justice. While nothing can undo the harm caused by a doctor’s negligence, filing a lawsuit and recovering compensation sends a strong message to wrongdoers that indifference to public safety will not be tolerated.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury from medical malpractice or another person’s negligence, contact our office to speak to a representative about your claim. Our legal consultations are free, confidential, and come with no obligation. Furthermore, our office represents clients on a contingency basis, meaning we do not collect any legal fees until we win your case.
