Following a month-long medical malpractice trial, a jury recently awarded $53 million to a young boy who suffered a hypoxic brain injury after physicians failed to recognize and treat fetal distress during his delivery.
Tragically, cases like this occur all too often. The trajectory of events proceeds something like this: a mother enters the hospital, her baby demonstrates signs of fetal distress, doctors fail to recognize the symptoms of fetal distress and in turn, fail to order an emergency Cesarean section. The child is deprived of oxygen (hypoxic brain injury), he or she suffers brain damage, which leads to Cerebral Palsy, or other serious neurological impairments, and the lives of the victim and his or her family are forever changed.
At Fronzuto Law Group, we refuse to accept these catastrophic errors in judgement and we are committed to holding these negligent medical professionals accountable. Our skilled birth injury attorneys provide unwavering legal advocacy for victims of birth injuries in New Jersey and New York, and we are thoroughly prepared to assist you and your family through every phase of the legal process. It is our passion to secure you the compensation you deserve. For a cost-free consultation with one of our highly knowledgeable medical malpractice lawyers today, contact our offices at 973-435-4551.
The mother of the young boy in this case, Lisa Ewing, arrived at the University of Chicago Medical Center in April of 2004 to deliver her son, Isaiah, who is now 12-years-old. After a 40-week gestation, Lisa felt that the baby was less active in her womb, which is a notable symptom of fetal distress. A number of tests, including a heart-rate monitor, reportedly confirmed this diagnosis. However, doctors allowed Lisa to remain in her hospital bed for 12 hours before ordering a C-section.
Ultimately, Isaiah was not breathing when he was born. He was resuscitated, placed on life support, and remained in the neonatal intensive care unit for a month after he was delivered. Due to the lack of oxygen supplied to Isaiah’s brain for an extended period in utero, he suffered a hypoxic brain injury, which resulted in Cerebral Palsy. Today, Isaiah requires 24/7 care, a significant personal and financial burden on his mother.
After hearing the evidence presented by both parties in the case of Isaiah Ewing v. University of Chicago Medical Center, a jury awarded Isaiah $53 million, which is delineated as follows:Â $2,770,400 million for disfigurement, $2,770,400 for loss of a normal life, $2,770,400 for shortened life expectancy, $2,770,400 for past and future pain and suffering, $2,770,400 for past and future emotional distress, $346,000 for past medical expenses, $7.25 million for future medical expenses, $28,852,000 for future care-taking expenses, and $2.7 million for future loss of earning capacity.
For additional information pertaining to this case, access the following article:Â $53M verdict for birth injury
