A High Court judge in London approved an undisclosed, six figure payout to 9-year-old Demi Newell from the UK’s National Health System. Nuneaton News reported that the girl’s family accused George Eliot Hospital of negligent care during her birth, which subsequently caused her diagnosis of Erb’s palsy. During Demi’s delivery in 2003, she was so large that her shoulders became stuck—a condition known as shoulder dystocia. Because she was stuck, the medical professionals at Eliot negligently pulled her by her head in their attempts to deliver her.
The malpractice resulted in a serious injury to Demi’s brachial plexus, an important network of nerves near the neck that signals the shoulders, arms and hands to move. This type of injury often leads to later diagnoses of Erb’s palsy. The injury Demi sustained to her brachial plexus caused her to have restricted use of one of her arms, making everyday activities more difficult and sometimes impossible to accomplish.
The hospital furiously denied the claims filed against them, but the parties agreed to a settlement one month before the case was set to go to trial. Our birth trauma attorneys are happy that Demi’s case reached a positive outcome. Unfortunately, hospitals often escape being held liable for their actions because of the lack of information regarding victim’s legal rights to pursue compensation. Call our firm today at 1-800-460-0606, and you will receive free legal advice and a consultation to review your case. You may also be entitled to damages if a hospital staff’s negligence caused your child to sustain a devastating birth injury.
[Did You Know: There are many causes of Erb’s palsy, but shoulder dystocia is the most common.]
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – birth trauma lawyers
