Parents Sue Hospital Over Baby’s Cerebral Palsy
Feb 27, 2013
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) February 26, 2013 – Substandard medical care is alleged to blame for the brain damage of a child born in Florida.
The parents of a boy with cerebral palsy recently filed a birth injury suit naming St. Mary’s Medical Center and its staff as defendants in Palm Beach County, Florida. The lawsuit alleges that the boy’s mother received substandard medical care at St. Mary’s during childbirth, resulting in brain damage to the baby and eventual cerebral palsy.
Tampa personal injury attorney Robert Joyce, who is not involved in the case, commented, “Prenatal and neonatal care is the subject of many lawsuits due to infants’ susceptibility to injury and the many opportunities for error.”
According to the complaint, St. Mary’s admitted the mother, then six months pregnant, with ruptured membranes. This increases the risk of premature birth and other complications. A doctor prescribed antibiotics and ordered constant monitoring of the fetal pulse.
After two weeks in the hospital, a nurse found a blockage in the mother’s IV tube and gave her a declotting drug known as Cathflo. The mother suffered a dramatic allergic reaction to the drug, which caused spasms, difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure. The fetal heart rate also dropped, and doctors ordered an emergency C-section.
Nearly one hour passed between the mother’s allergic reaction and the C-section.
At birth, the baby weighed just 2.4 pounds, was having difficulty breathing, and had a slow pulse. Doctors performed an MRI on the baby, which showed that he had brain injuries. Within the next three months, the baby was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
The parents claim that the boy’s brain injury was a result of the delay in St. Mary’s staff performing the C-section. The complaint also alleges that the hospital failed to provide adequate care. The suit seeks to hold the hospital liable for the actions of its staff.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the baby’s brain injury, mental anguish, medical expenses, unrealized potential future earnings and future medical expenses.
“If the plaintiffs can show that the delay in performing the C-section was avoidable and contributed to the brain injury, they may have a case,” added Mr. Joyce.
To learn more or to contact a Tampa personal injury lawyer at the Joyce & Reyes Law Firm, P.A. visit http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/ or call 1.888.771.1529.
Joyce and Reyes Law Firm, P.A.
307 S Hyde Park Ave,
Tampa, FL 33606
Call: 813.251.2007
