Sunday, March 29, 2009

Obstetrician ordered to pay almost $40M medical compensation

A Middlesex County jury found an obstetrician and gynecologist negligent for having waited more than five hours to deliver a baby by caesarean section despite signs of severe fetal distress. The doctor was ordered to pay nearly $40 million medical compensation to the boy and his family.

The boy is now about eight years of age, has cerebral palsy and functions at the level of a two- to four-year-old. His mother said she felt relieved and vindicated by the doctor malpractice judgment against the doctor.

Plaintiff's medical attorney said the verdict, which exceeds a $30 million award to a Randolph mother and her brain-damaged child in 1992, apparently stemmed from the severity of the boy's injuries and the care he will need for the rest of his life.

Today plaintiff's son needs help dressing and showering. His speech is garbled, and he can generally be understood only by his parents. He walks with braces and has a wobbly gait. He has no control over his right hand and has a shunt in his head to drain fluid.

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