On behalf of Hastings Law Firm posted in Birth Injuries on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.

A Texas hospital and physician are under fire for allegedly causing serious birth injuries to a newborn child in 2013. The mother has since filed a medical malpractice claim, citing damages that include the child’s medical expenses for the related permanent brain injury that he suffered. She also asserts she has less of an earning capacity than she might have had otherwise, and that her son will also have a diminished ability to earn an income throughout his life.

It was the woman’s third pregnancy, and doctors had determined that she was suffering from gestational diabetes — a complication that can affect pregnant women. An ultrasound revealed that child she was carrying was already abnormally large for his gestational age. At the time, doctors estimated that the child might weigh nearly 9 pounds at birth.

Labor was induced five days after the ultrasound, but despite doctors breaking the mother’s water and placing her on Pitocin — a medication that can speed up labor — progress was slow. Further complications arose during delivery, but she ultimately gave birth to an 11 pound baby, nearly 2 pounds heavier than doctors had predicted. Shortly after the boy was born, he suffered from cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, internal hemorrhaging and kidney failure. These devastating complications culminated in permanent brain damage in the newborn.

While her medical malpractice suit asks for at least $75,000 to address medical bills, it is possible for an award to exceed this amount. No parent in Texas wants to watch a child suffer through preventable injuries, but doctor negligence can have a devastating effect on vulnerable children and their families. A brain injury such as this can require extensive and lifelong medical treatment, which can typically be financially covered through a successful medical malpractice claim filed by the parents or legal guardian on behalf of the injured child.

Source: setexasrecord.com, “Ark. mother sues doctor, hospital for childbirth injuries”, Carol Ostrow, April 22, 2015