Parents claim hospital negligence led to death of their baby
February 20th, 2019On behalf of David Bowling of The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation posted in Hospital Negligence on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.
When a couple, whether in Louisiana or elsewhere, is preparing for the birth of their child, they typically envision a beautiful and positive experience for everyone involved, and they assume it will result in them taking home a healthy newborn baby. Sadly, for some people, this vision does not become their reality. Such is the case with a couple in another state who are claiming hospital negligence led to the death of their baby three days after birth. The parents recently filed a lawsuit against the hospital, claiming negligence as well as negligent infliction of emotional distress. They are asking for $10 million in damages.
The incident happened in Nov. 2016. The woman was admitted to the hospital after labor began earlier that day. According to the lawsuit, during labor, a midwife expressed concern about accelerations in the fetal heart rate, which can indicate fetal distress. Under such conditions, according to the American Pregnancy Association, an obstetrician may order an emergency cesarean section in order to accelerate the delivery. The suit alleges that the nurses and midwife failed to notify an on-call obstetrician about the condition of the fetus, and that they neglected to use a fetal scalp monitor, which would have given a more accurate picture of the fetal heart rate.
The woman delivered her baby naturally that evening, but the plaintiffs claim the infant did not move or cry after birth. Reportedly, she was treated in the neonatal intensive care unit and was placed on life support. The parents were told the next day that there were no prospects of life for their daughter, and they eventually made the decision to take her off life support. She died shortly after.
The loss of a child for any reason is devastating for any parent and perhaps especially so if the reason appears to be the negligent actions of medical professionals. Sometimes, people who feel they have been victims of hospital negligence seek compensation for both unexpected expenses and emotional suffering, as these people have. In Louisiana, attorneys experienced in such cases are available to review individual case details and provide legal advice on how best to proceed.
