A Michigan woman in a birth injury lawsuit has been awarded almost $13 million by a jury. The lawsuit alleged that Genesys Regional Medical Center made mistakes during the delivery of the woman s daughter, disfiguring the girl and restricting her from the full use of her arm. The lawsuit stated that during the January 2008 delivery, the baby s shoulder became lodged underneath the pelvic bone, a condition that is known as shoulder dystocia. Reported instances of shoulder dystocia have greatly increased in recent decades, perhaps as a result of a corresponding increase in average birth weight. Shoulder dystocia can often be dealt with successfully during delivery, but the lawsuit argued that the doctor pulled down on the baby s head too much, causing an injury to the brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves near the shoulder. The lawsuit claimed that the doctor should have recommended a cesarean section or used a different method that would place less stress upon the baby. The hospital said
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 12:12:16 +0000