A recent case of nurse malpractice made it to trial, regarding a brain-damaged boy in Wisconsin.
The boy’s parents, Amy and Chad Jelinek, brought the lawsuit in 2006 claiming that their son Laine suffered brain damage during his 2005 birth due to neglect by their nurse and nurse midwife.
Their claim states that when Amy began suffering from complications during the birth process, the medical professionals failed to properly read the fetal monitors indicating that the infant was in distress, thereby causing a delay in the delivery of the child. This delay ultimately caused Laine to suffer brain injuries and left him with cerebral palsy.
The case finally went to trial last month. It lasted three weeks, during which several medical expert witnesses were called to testify as to the quality of the care and whether or not they believed this was indeed a case of nurse malpractice.
The jury felt it was. They returned with a guilty verdict and awarded the parents a settlement in the amount of $11.4 million.
The family is said to be relieved at the outcome and that they received some justice for their son, but that the settlement will in no way compensate Laine for what he has lost and what he will suffer with for the rest of his life.
The hospital in question, Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center, released a statement in which they acknowledged that the Jelineks have gone through a difficult time, but that they stand behind the quality of care that they provided. It is unclear at this time whether the hospital will appeal the verdict.
Click here to Subscribe to RSS Feed
