Families awaiting the arrival of a new baby typically spend their time making excited plans. Sadly, sometimes things do not always go as predicted, particularly if a baby is injured during delivery. A hospital here in Oregon is facing medical malpractice suits from three families who allege that the cerebral palsy in their children was caused by the actions of the hospital personnel.
One of the families says that Silverton Hospital failed to order a timely C-section to deliver their son. The baby weighed 10 pounds and labor was not progressing the way it should, so nurses administered medication to help with delivery. After several hours, the baby was born via C-section, but his parents say he was unresponsive and that the hospital did not administer treatment quickly enough.
The other two families have similar cases as the first. They are all pursuing lawsuits to assist with the care of their children. The children will possibly need surgeries, varying therapies and other treatment as they grow. The cases are all pending and the hospital is not commenting until the trials have ended.
Other Oregon families who find themselves in a situation like this may make the decision to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit. A successfully litigated lawsuit could result in monetary compensation that could be used for treatment similar to what these children will need in the future. No family should have to face the heartbreak that these families are enduring, especially if it might be due to the mistakes of a trusted medical professional.
Source: khou.com, “Famililes sue Oregon hospital over cerebral palsy births”, Nina Mehlhaf, April 11, 2014
