Last week, a Connecticut jury awarded $58 million to the plaintiffs in a medical malpractice case against a gynecologist. The award marks the highest medical malpractice award in Connecticut’s history. The plaintiffs’ attorneys successfully convinced the jury that the doctor breached the standard of care by failing to start a caesarian section delivery in time.
The plaintiff couple used in vitro fertilization to conceive their child. At a routine checkup, the mother’s amniotic fluid was at half the normal level. The plaintiffs’ expert said it was an indication that something was wrong, and that the baby needed to come out that day by caesarian section. However, the defendant doctor did not deliver the baby that day.
The mother went into labor two days later. The father filmed the delivery, and at one point the doctor says, “Holy ****!” The baby appeared to be in breech birth. The doctor struggled to get the baby out for three or four minutes. Once out, the baby’s only sign of life was a heartbeat. Doctors revived the baby, but it developed cerebral palsy.
The child needs extensive home care and the parents struggle financially. Their attorneys are pleased that the jury recognized the value of their clients’ claim, doubt that their clients will ultimately collect the entire amount.
Contact a Florida lawyer if you suffer injuries from medical negligence. An experienced Florida attorney will work to get you the maximum recovery for your injuries.
