A Minnesota woman was awarded $8.9 million after her child was allegedly mishandled during his delivery, leading to shoulder dystocia. 
According to StarTribune.com, a Hennepin County jury awarded the mother compensation last month after she said a local healthcare provider and midwife ignored her concerns over the size of her baby prior to his birth.
The child, born in 2016, severed a broken right arm and nerve damage during the birthing process. His mother claimed in the lawsuit that she had concerns about his large size, but a certified nurse-midwife said the boy was not that large during care sessions.
However, when the delivery occurred, the child weighed 10.5 pounds, nearly 3 ponds larger than the average American birth weight. The child’s size resulted in shoulder dystocia, a complication in which the baby’s head passes through the birth canal but the shoulders get stuck.
The lawsuit alleged that the midwife pulled on the boy so hard during his birth that his arm was broken and his nerves were torn. An engineer testified that the force used during the birth by the midwife on pulling the child was “seven to eight times the average traction used in a routine delivery.”
Following his birth, the boy was placed in intensive care. He later underwent two surgeries to help restore function in his arm and is currently in physical therapy. For further information, you can click on the link below.
Joint and Shoulder Injuries During Birth Can Lead to a Lifetime of Medical Costs
For more information about shoulder dystocia and Erb’s palsy, you can click here. Some children suffer from no muscle control and no feeling in their arm or hand if they sustain injuries during birth. This can lead to a lifetime of medical costs associated with physical therapy and a loss of potential income.
If your child has suffered an injury due to the negligence of a healthcare provider, our Ryan Krebs, M.D., J.D., is especially qualified to handle medical malpractice cases. Our firm is well versed in birth injury law and each birth trauma attorney can provide you with the legal advice and representation you need to successfully pursue a case.
For a free discussion about your case, call 1-(800)-460-0606.
