OAK PARK, IL (March 18, 2021) – Coplan + Crane reached a $13 million settlement in a birth injury case on behalf of an Illinois mother and her child, the firm announced.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, maintained that the medical providers responsible for the plaintiff’s care during delivery of her child were negligent and responsible for the child’s injuries.
Ultimately, attorneys for the plaintiff reached a settlement agreement with the Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund, which is a mandatory health care liability risk sharing plan. Compensation included the cost of the child’s past and future medical expenses.
Attorney Ben Crane said the settlement not only helps support the child’s financial needs but also sends a strong message that negligent medical providers will be held accountable.
“This first-time mom labored for more than two days. When she needed sound medical care the most, the hospital assigned a brand-new nurse, who had not yet received the required training for monitoring baby and mom,” Crane said. “It was a recipe for disaster. The nurse was not equipped to monitor the delivery. If she had been, she would have turned off the Pitocin and gotten the doctor to the hospital much sooner.”
According to court documents, the medical providers responsible for the plaintiff and her baby’s care:
- Failed to recognize abnormal fetal heart tone tracings.
- Failed to recognize abnormal uterine contraction patterns.
- Failed to provide resuscitative measures, including position changes, IV fluids, and oxygen supplementation in the presence of abnormal fetal heart tone tracing.
- Failed to notify the patient’s physician of abnormal fetal heart rate changes.
- Failed to require the obstetrician to personally evaluate the patient in person the night before the child was delivered.
- Failed to direct the pushing efforts of the mother during the second stage of labor.
Furthermore, the lawsuit stated the plaintiff’s doctor:
- Failed to order the discontinuation of Pitocin when informed of the patient’s progress.
- Failed to evaluate the patient based upon the information provided by nurses before delivery.
- Failed to manage the second stage of labor to avoid fetal injury.
- Failed to proceed to emergency cesarean section with delivery of the child.
The plaintiff was represented on the case by Kevin Burke, Ben Crane, Stephen Blecha, and Ted Jennings.
“We are honored that we were able to deliver justice to our client and her child,” said Blecha, a partner at the law firm. “It’s unfortunate that it came to this. The hospital corporation failed its brand-new nurse, mom, and baby.”
About Coplan + Crane
Coplan + Crane handles a variety of cases involving negligence that result in personal injury and wrongful death, including medical malpractice and motor vehicle accidents. The firm has offices in Oak Park and Rockford, IL. Contact us today to get started on your claim. We offer free and confidential case evaluations.
