Parents file malpractice lawsuit due to birth injury
March 5th, 2019On behalf of David Bowling of The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation posted in Birth Injuries on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.
Most Louisiana parents understand the joy of bringing a healthy baby home from the hospital since they have personally experienced such an event. However, not all parents are so fortunate. Sadly, sometimes a birth injury occurs at some point during the birthing process, and while some of these cases can be explained as simply nature taking its course, others can be attributed to negligence on the part of the medical professionals involved.
A couple in another state experienced what was perhaps the most traumatic event of their lives when their baby boy was born with significant brain damage. They recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital as well as the entity that operates it. According to the suit, the mother began labor and was admitted to hospital in Nov. 2016, and after she expressed her desire to experience a vaginal birth, staff started her on Pitocin to induce labor. Throughout labor, staff adjusted the Pitocin levels, and at some point, noted the baby’s heart rate was fluctuating, but they continued to administer the drug. Doctors also gave her antibiotics during labor to treat a bacterial infection, and when the baby was born several hours later, he required resuscitation.
The now 15-month-old baby boy suffers from a long list of medical complications, including spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. The lawsuit claims the baby suffered permanent brain injury due to lack of oxygen during birth and that medical staff failed to provide the mother with adequate information and counseling during labor and delivery regarding treatment options. In addition, the suit claims that staff should have properly addressed the issue of the baby’s lack of oxygen in-utero.
These parents went into hospital hoping to leave with a healthy baby, but instead now have a child with permanent injuries requiring ongoing medical care. They are seeking monetary damages to cover expected costs of such care as well as to compensate for the loss of an emotional relationship with the child due to his disabilities. Unfortunately, during a birthing event, a birth injury does happen from time to time, and sometimes, such injuries are caused by negligence on the part of medical professionals. People who have endured this type of situation may wish to consult with an experienced Louisiana medical malpractice attorney to discuss their legal options.
