Illinois Mother Settles Birthing Malpractice Case for $9.7 Million
The mother of a 10-year-old girl who sustained a serious brain injury during her birthing delivery has reached a $9.7 million settlement with Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Rosa Lopez says she will use the money from the birthing malpractice lawsuit to provide her daughter Madeline Maturino with more therapy, as well as find ways to help her cope with her brain injury.
Madeline was born at Northwestern Memorial on July 17, 1998, a date that was past her due date. Hospital doctors induced Lopez’s labor using the drug Pitocin. Lopez’s personal injury lawyer, however, contends that the drug was administered aggressively, which resulted in contractions that came too closely after one another and caused stress to baby Madeline.
Madeline’s brain tissue became damaged after it was deprived of oxygen, and she sustained hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Madeline’s injury has left her with limited speech abilities and she is prone to angry outbursts. Lopez says her daughter has to fight to communicate daily.
Birthing Malpractice
Medical errors during childbirth can cause a baby to suffer catastrophic injuries, such as Cerebral palsy, Brachial palsy, facial paralysis, broken bones, bruising, and shoulder dystocia.
Common kinds of medical malpractice errors that can lead to birthing injuries:
• Wrong diagnosis
• Waiting too long to induce labor
• Neglecting to perform a c-section when required
• Incorrect forceps use
Botched delivery results in $9.75M settlement, Southtownstar.com, July 9, 2008
Birth Injuries, Health System Virginia.edu
Related Web Resources:
Pitocin FAQ, Childbirth.org
hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, Medicine.net
If your child sustained serious injuries before, during, or after delivery and you believe it was because a doctor, an ob/gyn, or another medical provider was negligent or made a mistake, you should speak with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer today.
