A court has ordered a Glasgow, Kentucky hospital to pay $17.5 million dollars to a child that was disabled by the negligence of the hospital and the obstetrician. A Pitocin-induced labor caused complications leading to birth asphyxia. The hospital staff failed to react properly to the emergency and this led to the child developing spastic quadriplegia, which is an extremely severe form of cerebral palsy.
The plaintiffs initially asked for $24 million in damages. However, the court ordered the hospital to pay $18.27 million. Finally, the mother of the child took a lower settlement of $17.5 million if the hospital promised not to appeal the verdict. The damages secured will go towards lifetime healthcare costs for the injured child.
Why Did Spastic Quadriplegia Lead to a 17.5 Million Dollar Lawsuit?
Spastic quadriplegia may be the most severe form of cerebral palsy, as it requires expensive lifelong care. Children with this injury generally have serious mental disabilities and the victims are never able to walk. Children with spastic quadriplegia are also susceptible to frequent seizures and other health problems.
In addition to lifelong health care costs, these children cannot live without the support of others. Therefore, a large settlement also goes towards the costs of daily upkeep, because the child will never be able to hold a job to pay for food and other basic needs.
The law firm of Farrell & Patel helps the victims of birth injuries and their families in Florida through charities and through their work with the Miami Children’s Hospital. You can see how they help injured children by visiting their Twitter and Facebook pages.
Farrell & Patel – Birth Injury Lawyers
