Child awarded $9.6 million in medical malpractice case

A federal judge awarded a young girl $9.6 million in damages in a recent medical malpractice case. The judge ruled that the 3-year-old girl suffered a brain injury during birth. Similar rulings are common in Maryland civil courts when medical malpractice cases involve birth injuries.

This particular medical malpractice case surrounds a young girl whose brain injury resulted from her doctor waiting too long to decide that she should be delivered via C-section. In addition to the $9.6 million awarded to her, the girl’s mother was also awarded damages. She received damages in the amount of $250,000 to compensate her for the emotional distress she suffered during the delivery, according to the family’s attorneys.

The judge handed down the ruling on October 28 in Sacramento, California, in which he concluded that the responsible doctor waited too long before he performed a C-section. The doctor’s decision was determined to be medical malpractice as the child’s condition worsened dramatically in the hours leading up to her birth. As a result, the girl will never be able to talk, walk or take care of herself. She is blind, had a feeding tube implanted in her stomach and suffers occasional seizures.

When an individual suffers an injury as the result of a health care professional’s negligence, the victim has the right to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against the party — or parties — believed to be responsible. Successfully presented, a medical malpractice claim may result in a judgment for physical and emotional damages suffered. Medical malpractice victims in Maryland are entitled to seek legal counsel to assess the validity of any legal claims, as well as to seek representatives to advocate on their behalves while pursuing claims for financial relief.

Source: mercedsunstar.com, “Judge awards $9.6M to child in medical malpractice case”, Nov. 2, 2015