When Yong Juan Zhao gave birth to her son “S.,” the baby suffered an avoidable brachial plexus injury, which severely and permanently impaired the function of his right arm. During her pregnancy and S.’s birth, Zhao was attended by an obstetrician employed by a federally supported grant clinic in southern…
Chicago Birth Injury Lawyers Blog
$6 Million Settlement for Failure to Timely Deliver Twins
Ms. Doe was pregnant with twins; they shared a placenta but had their own amniotic sacs. During her pregnancy, one of the twins, Twin B, had an abnormal velamentous cord insertion and exhibited persistent absent end-diastolic flow, which indicated underlying fetal vascular stress. Velamentous cord insertion is a complication of…
$785,400 Settlement in Birth Injury Lawsuit for Failure to Order Timely Emergency Cesarean Section
Ms. Doe, who had a history of preeclampsia, was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital to deliver her baby. She was administered Pitocin but was discontinued on order by one obstetrician before another doctor restarted it. Despite all of this, Ms. Doe’s labor failed to progress, and the fetal monitor showed…
$7.6 Million Jury Verdict in Birth Injury Caused by Negligent Forceps Use
After Mary Hunt was diagnosed as having possible preeclampsia, she was admitted to a hospital for induction of labor. Her treating physician ordered Pitocin and transferred her to an on-call obstetrician, Dr. Larry Clark. Dr. Clark delivered Mary’s son vaginally using forceps. As a result of the difficult delivery combined…
Illinois Appellate Court Rules that the Wrongful Death Act Did Not Bar Cause of Action or Recovery Against Physician and Medical Institution in Fetal Death
Monique Thomas and Christopher Mitchell sought damages in a lawsuit alleging that Dr. Edgard Khoury and Dr. Robert Kagan caused the wrongful death of their fetus from injuries suffered during an elective surgery performed on Thomas. A pregnancy test before the surgery alerted the doctors that Thomas was “potentially pregnant.”…
Illinois Supreme Court Reverses Judgment and Remands Case for New Trial in Birth Injury Lawsuit Based on Motion in Limine
This Supreme Court case comes from an appeal twice to the appellate court and originally from the Circuit Court of Adams County, Ill. The issue was “whether the ruling of the appellate court, 2016 IL App (4th) 150843, reversing the judgment and remanding this case for a new trial requires…
U.S. Court of Appeals Refuses to Admit Doctor’s General Reputation Found on Internet Websites in Birth Injury Lawsuit
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has affirmed a federal court’s exclusion of evidence regarding the defendant physician’s general reputation on internet websites. In this case, Sheena Dorman, Dillon Ming and their minor child sued obstetrician Dr. Richard G. Welch and his medical practice, Annapolis OB-Gyn Associates…
$12 Million Jury Verdict for Birth Injury Caused by Failure to Discontinue Blood Pressure Medication
Terri Franklin had a history of hypertension. For that condition, she was prescribed Benicar. When she became pregnant at age 30, she continued to take Benicar while receiving prenatal care from obstetrician Dr. Alvin Sermons. Her baby had a stroke in-utero, and after the birth, the baby was diagnosed as…
$23.9 Million Jury Verdict for Brain Injury to Newborn for Health Care Provider’s Failure to Properly Monitor During Labor and Delivery
Anna Scott was admitted to Jefferson Healthcare to deliver her first child. She was at first attached to a fetal heart monitor, which showed that her baby was healthy. She was then taken off the monitor for a six-hour period until her treating physician performed an artificial rupture of the…
Illinois Appellate Court Reverses Trial Court’s Dismissal Order That Revives Birth Injury Claims Against Hospital
The Illinois Appellate Court has ruled a woman may be able to hold the hospital liable for injuries her child sustained during labor and delivery. The Illinois Appellate Court for the 5th District reversed a trial judge’s decision that the patient should have known the doctor who delivered her twins…