Dr. Angelique Campden learned first hand that medical malpractice can happen to anyone – even someone who works in the medical industry. She recently filed a lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center claiming they caused her daughter’s birth injury due to substandard care.
Campden’s daughter Paris was born prematurely and spent several weeks in the neo-natal unit as a result. At one point, Campden claims that she noticed her baby was exhibiting signs of distress and brought her concerns to the staff. Paris’s heart rate was alarmingly slow and she ceased breathing on multiple occasions. She was also overly lethargic.
According to Dr. Campden and her medical attorney, despite her concerns hospital staff did not take action, attributing the infant’s symptoms to an anesthetic that had been used a few days earlier during removal of a catheter.
Dr. Campden was right to be alarmed, however, because her daughter was actually suffering from a dangerous hospital infection known as serratia bacterial infection. It is known to be aggressive in newborns, but its effects can be minimized with prompt treatment. Unfortunately, in Paris’s case, antibiotics were not administered until some 11 hours later, and by then she had suffered irreparable brain damage.
A jury confirmed Dr. Campden’s assertion that the hospital had committed medical malpractice and ordered them to pay over $7 million in damages. The money will likely be used to pay for the special needs care that Paris now requires.
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