Family Settles Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit with Hospital for $9 Million.
Lawyers for a Virginia boy who developed cerebral palsy shortly after birth reached a settlement of $9 million on January 29th, 2014.
The case was brought against a military hospital in Honolulu, which allegedly caused the boy’s condition due to medical negligence. While it’s normally unheard of to have settlements brought into the public light in this manner, this case shows that child victims of medical malpractice may have legal recourse and may qualify for compensation whether the defendant is a public or private entity.
“Negligence Caused His Cerebral Palsy”
$9 Million Cerebral Palsy Settlement Reached
Lawyers for the plaintiff argued that due to the failure of the hospital nurses and physicians to act in a timely manner in removing the baby from the mother’s uterus, the unborn baby was deprived of oxygen, causing irreparable brain damage that he would have to live with for the rest of his life.
The baby, named Noah Whitney, supposedly needs round-the-clock care, which is both time-consuming and expensive. It’s also said that he will need this kind of care for the rest of his life.
The mother had a history of, and had suffered a uterine rupture. Allegedly, the failure of the hospital to promptly notify and consult the obstetrician who had been monitoring the pregnancy lead to Noah’s cerebral palsy.
How Cerebral Palsy Happens
Cerebral palsy usually happens during pregnancy, or shortly before/after birth, due to a number of causes such as:
- Trauma during delivery due to forcefully trying to remove the baby from the birth canal, thus injuring the brain.
- Congenital infections during pregnancy.
- Lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain during birth.
- Lack of attentiveness during birth by nurses and other physicians present.
Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation and Care
Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive condition: this means that a child who has the condition may not get progressively worse over the course of his/her life. However, he/she may need rehabilitation to help improve motor, language and social skills due to the mental and physical symptoms associated with cerebral palsy.
Compensation for You and Your Child
If your child developed cerebral palsy due to negligence, you might be able to recover compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. Please call us at 1-855-833-3707 for your free consultation. We also work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we won’t charge you a single cent unless we win your case for you. Your child deserves to live a high quality life despite his or her condition. Get in touch today and we’ll help you determine your legal options.