Personal Injury Law

Family Awarded $56 Million Medical Malpractice Award

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

The Chappaqua-MountKisco Dispatch recently wrote about the latest development in an eye-popping medical malpractice case resulting in a record setting verdict last year.

The Swanson family was awarded $56 million from a medical malpractice jury verdict late last year. The case stemmed from the medical errors that occurred at the Northern Westchester Hospital during the 2003 birth of their son. The couple filed the suit against the hospital and several staff members at the facility including their obstetrician, Dr. Carla Eng-Kohn.

The problems began when the medical staff discovered that the delivery involved shoulder dystocia. Shoulder dystocia is a condition that arises when an unborn child?s shoulders become trapped against the mother?s public bones. The condition does not automatically result in injury to the child so long as medical professionals acting in a timely and appropriate manner.

However, the medical staff at the hospital in this case failed to relieve the dysocia in a timely manner. As a result the baby was delivered with brain damage, nerve damage, internal bleeding, cervical bruising, facial bruising, and arm bruising.

Unfortunately, medical errors during childbirth are a common occurrence at many hospitals. The results of the errors are often catastrophic, leading to lifelong injuries and at times, death. Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Levin & Perconti have fought many legal battles for victims of hospital error during childbirth. For example, in one case we secured a $6.7 million verdict in a case where an inexperienced medical resident performed a vaginal delivery on a breeched baby. The result was, as in this case, was shoulder dystocia leading to a crippling arm injury on the infant.

With so much on the line during childbirth, medical professionals must ensure that they do not commit preventable errors. Please contact our office if you may have been the victim of negligent care during child birth.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on July 31, 2010 (boomark / email).