Kreisman Law Offices Professional Corporation
The delivery of Erin McCarthy’s daughter was stalled for about 8 hours during labor. The obstetrician taking care of McCarthy was Dr. Garry Karounos, who attempted a forceps delivery.
During the forceps delivery attempt, the baby’s shoulder got stuck on the mom’s pelvic bone. Dr. Karounos applied various maneuvers to try to deliver the baby. However, the child was deprived of oxygen for 3 ½ minutes during the aborted delivery attempts and suffered hypoxia, deprivation of oxygen. The baby’s Apgar scores were zero at one and five minutes, which are signals of real trouble for the baby.
The child is now 4 years old and has mild cerebral palsy. The baby also struggles with balance issues and speech delay.
The McCarthy family and daughter brought a lawsuit against the obstetrician Dr. Karounos and his professional corporation claiming that he chose not to perform a timely Caesarean section when it was necessary.
The McCarthy family charged that the Caesarean section should have been performed in light of an ultrasound taken several days before the delivery showing an estimated fetal weight of 10 pounds. The size of the baby is always an indicator of whether a Caesarean section might be necessary or at least a thoughtful consideration. The jury’s verdict was $4 million in favor of the McCarthy family and for the damages to baby McCarthy.
The attorney handling the case for the McCarthy family was Stephen Pokiniewski, Jr.
McCarthy v. Karounos, No. 2011-C-3016 (Pa., Lehigh Co. Com. Pleas, Sept. 9, 2013).
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling birth injury cases for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 38 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including River Forest, Arlington Heights, Addison, Woodridge, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Dolton, South Holland, Glenwood, Chicago Heights, South Chicago Heights, Crete, Park Forest, Richton Park, Matteson, Tinley Park, Orland Hills, Oak Forest, Robbins, Blue Island, Harvey, Chicago (Lake Calumet, Avalon Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, Hyde Park) and LaGrange, Ill.
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