Hospital to pay medical malpractice victim $9M
A hospital in another state has been order to pay a $9 million settlement in a medical malpractice case. According to the suit, a pregnant woman went to this hospital on Sept. 7, 2010, where she suffered a birth injury that severely affected her child. When Pennsylvania patients receive negligent medical care, a medical malpractice suit may be a tenable action against the party or parties believed to be responsible.
A physician who was a first-year resident saw the woman, and the suit alleges that the physician was too inexperienced. The suit alleges that the medical staff at the hospital was thoroughly familiar with the medical history of the woman — this included her above-average risk of uterine rupture. When the woman’s uterus did, in fact, rupture, the resident did not make a call for help. A nurse soon made that call, which resulted in a more experienced physician arriving.
Due to the severity of the rupture of her uterus, which was compounded by delay, the patient’s baby’s oxygen supply was cut off, the lawsuit claims. This left the boy with permanent brain damage as well as cerebral palsy. The boy is now permanently disabled and, for the remainder of his life, will need around-the-clock help to survive. A specific allocation of the $9 million settlement will be utilized to purchase an annuity for the victim, which will result in the disbursement of monthly payments to his trust that will be guaranteed for the remainder of his life, no matter how long that may be.
As is evidenced by this case, victims of medical malpractice must often live with the damage for decades to come. However, there is legal and financial recourse for such irrevocable damages in the form of a medical malpractice lawsuit. Successfully presented, this suit may sometimes result in a monetary judgment for any financial damages sustained. Medical malpractice victims in Pennsylvania often choose to seek legal counsel in order to assess the validity of their proposed legal claims as well as to advocate on their behalf in pursuing claims for financial relief.
Source: khon2.com: Tripler to pay $9 million in medical malpractice settlement, Feb. 5, 2016
