Posted On: May 11, 2012

Mother Claims Doctor’s Negligence Caused Twins to Be Born With Birth Injuries, Part 3 of 3

The following blog entry is written to illustrate an example of a birth injury case. Reviewing this kind of lawsuit should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please also note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this birth injury lawsuit and its proceedings.)

The plaintiff's expert neonatologist claimed that holding off the delivery for 48 hours would have permitted the babies' lungs, gastrointestinal tract and brain to have matured sufficiently at 24 weeks gestation to avoid the subsequent damages the twins suffered, including brain damage to Ashley.

The defense's expert perinatologist opined that Perk's management of the two telephone calls he received from Teimen's nurse met the standard of care, and that there was no indication for Teimen to be kept an additional 12 hours of observation with the administration of continuous tocolytics, antibiotics and betamethazone.

Teimen admitted at trial that although she was still feeling contractions when she was initially discharged from the hospital, she did not tell the nurse. She also claimed that she did not read the written discharge instructions she signed, which required her to stay at the hospital if her contractions were persistent.

Ashley, age 6 at trial, has developmental/cognitive delays, for which she receives speech therapy and oral aversion therapy. Chris, 6, has matured into a nearly normal child.
The plaintiffs' claimed $5.72 million in medical costs to date, most of which was paid by private medical insurance.

For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

Continue reading " Mother Claims Doctor’s Negligence Caused Twins to Be Born With Birth Injuries, Part 3 of 3 " »

Posted On: May 3, 2012

Twins Born Prematurely Bring About Birth Injury Lawsuit, Part 2 of 3

The following blog entry is written to illustrate an example of a birth injury case. Reviewing this kind of lawsuit should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please also note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this birth injury lawsuit and its proceedings.)

At home, Teimen continued to have contractions but believed they were Braxton Hicks contractions. At 9:30 a.m., she went to the office of her perinatologist, Dr. Mann, for a scheduled visit. Mann determined that Teimen was in active labor, and tried to give tocolytics to stop the labor, but was unsuccessful. Mann then sent Teimen to XYZ Center, where Perk conducted the delivery.

At 1:40 p.m., Ashley was delivered vaginally, weighing 680 grams, and at 1:58 p.m., Chris was delivered by Cesarean section, weighing 650 grams. Both babies were immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit due to their prematurity and conditions of respiratory distress, gastric perforation, and exclusive to Ashley, heart defects and brain injury.

Ashley and Chris, minors through their guardian ad litem, Meed Teimen, and Cathy Teimen, sued Perk and XYZ Center for medical malpractice.
Prior to trial, the parents' causes of action were dropped from the case. Meed Teimen was dismissed via a defense motion for summary judgment, while Cathy Teimen voluntarily discontinued herself from the case. XYZ also reached a confidential settlement with the plaintiffs before trial.

For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

Continue reading " Twins Born Prematurely Bring About Birth Injury Lawsuit, Part 2 of 3 " »