As regular readers of our San Antonio legal blog know, we have repeatedly covered serious problems in military and civilian hospitals with negligent doctors and staff. Perhaps no case of medical malpractice is more heartbreaking than those that involve birth injuries.
We read recently of a Pennsylvania mom who fought for justice for her 32-day-old daughter who died because of preventable medical errors that included a failure to diagnose a serious, though common ailment.
A Lancaster County jury agreed with the mother and her medical malpractice attorney and decided that the doctors should have diagnosed and treated in a more timely fashion the infant’s pertussis (a common condition often referred to as whooping cough).
According to her lawsuit, the mom asked doctors multiple times to test her baby daughter. She said at the time that she was also experiencing symptoms.
Note: The Centers for Disease Control states that symptoms can include:
- Low-grade fever
- Runny nose
- Mild, occasional cough
- Apnea (a pause in breathing that happens to babies with whooping cough)
The jury awarded the mom $4 million in compensatory damages.
“I truly hope that anyone else that is in a situation where they believe their doctors or another professional failed to adhere to the proper standard of care, that this will give them hope that your voice can be heard,” she told a media outlet.
This tragic case echoes other birth injuries that can include undiagnosed or unmonitored gestational diabetes and renal disease.
If your child has been harmed by a negligent physician or hospital staff, contact an experienced, effective medical malpractice lawyer for a discussion of your legal options.
