When a newborn baby undergoes surgery, it is naturally a traumatic experience for his or her parents. Under such circumstances, parents commonly put their trust in the experience and knowledge of the surgical team. Unfortunately, such trust is sometimes misplaced. Medical negligence can have devastating consequences. Pennsylvania readers may be aware of the outcome of a medical malpractice lawsuit after a medication error in another state.
A jury recently ordered a children’s hospital in another state to pay $17.8 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Only four days after their baby girl was born, her parents were informed that she needed surgery. The parents alleged that hospital staff committed a medication error while preparing the baby for surgery. This led to the child suffering cardiac arrest.
The baby survived, and now — seven years later — she continues to suffer the consequences of the error. Her parents say that she will need 24-hour supervision and care for the remainder of her life. She apparently suffers impairment of her intellectual, motor and cognitive skills. The hospital offered its sympathy regarding her condition but expressed its intention to appeal the jury verdict.
A Pennsylvania resident who has suffered a medication error, surgical error or another form of medical negligence has the right to pursue financial relief for medical expenses and other financial damages brought about by the incident. Many victims of medical malpractice seek the assistance of experienced medical malpractice attorneys to assist in gathering the evidence required to present successful civil claims. A lawyer serves to protect the rights of the client and to seek an award of monetary damages to cover current and future expenses for documented instances of medical malpractice.
Source: cpr.org, “Children’s Hospital ordered to pay $17.8M in malpractice”, Megan Arellano, April 5, 2015