A New York teen recently won a long legal battle against the hospital responsible for her cerebral palsy condition. The 17-year-old not only convinced the jury that she was the victim of hospital negligence as an infant, but she painted a clear picture of how cerebral palsy has impacted her life. You see the victim, Stephanie, has a twin sister who was born healthy, without disability.
When you’re a teenager fitting in is hard enough, but when you’re confined to a wheelchair, you’re lucky if peers will even say hello. Stephanie deals with this every day in high school, but the pain doesn’t end when she reaches home. She watches her twin sister, head out with friends to attend parties, providing a glimpse of what Stephanie’s life would be like if the hospital hadn’t acted negligently during her mother’s pregnancy.
Seventeen years ago, Stephanie’s mother arrived at the hospital with labor contractions. Because she was premature, they dismissed her contractions and sent her home after giving her a dose of Benadryl. If doctors had examined the mother more closely, they would have recognized her preterm pregnancy complications and taken action to prevent Stephanie from suffering hypoxia – a lack of oxygen.
Sadly, tort reform laws will decimate Stephanie’s award from $103,000,000 to about $16,000,000. While that figure may seem high, Stephanie would gladly exchange it for an able body.
If hospital negligence caused your child to suffer harm during pregnancy or labor, contact an experienced birth injury attorney to discuss your legal options.
McKeen & Associates is a Detroit-based law firm that proficiently handles birth injury cases throughout the U.S.
Source: New York Post, “Family Of SI Cerebral Palsy Teen Wins $100M Lawsuit Against Birth Hospital,” Josh Saul, Aug. 25, 2012
