<court>Newyork County (Ny) Supreme Court</court>—A gravida at term presented to a hospital in labor at 5:30 AM. Variable decelerations were noted at 8:45, with late decelerations beginning at 9:30. The baby was delivered in acute distress via cesarean at 12:46 PM.
The infant suffered brain damage, resulting in cerebral palsy with normal intelligence. In suing, the mother claimed on behalf of her child that the cesarean should have been initiated at 11 AM, not 12:15 PM.
The physician contended that the gravida suffered from chronic uteroplacental insufficiency throughout the pregnancy, which resulted in the infant’s neurological damage.
The case settled for $2.75 million.
The cases presented here were compiled by Lewis L. Laska, editor of Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts. While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.