A Cleveland woman whose daughter was injured at birth has been awarded $12.9 million. The family's representation able to prove that the injuries came as a result of doctors pulling on the baby's head when her arm was lodged in her mother's pelvic bone.
The birth injury lawyer who handled the case told reporters that physicians are trained for such emergencies and are taught special dystocia maneuvers when body parts become lodged in the vagina and will not come out. Instead of performing an emergency Caesarian-section, the doctors continued to pull on the child's head, permanently injuring her.
Hospital advocates argued that their physicians followed the proper protocol and that the C-section was not necessary. The $12.9 million verdict will be appealed by the hospital.
The little girl, who is now 5-years-old, has undergone a number of different surgeries to heal severed nerves in her right arm. She must also wear a brace. The nerve damage will require more surgeries and therapy. In addition, the girl will need help completing normal daily tasks such as brushing her teeth, getting dressed, and going to work or school for the rest of her life
Born at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, hospital advocates also attempted to argue that the baby was unusually large and that may have had something to do with the dystocia. However, the family's attorney made it clear that doctors should have a good idea of the weight of babies before they are born and if a doctor feels the baby is too large for normal birth, a C-section should be administered.