$1.825M Settlement for a Child Injured by Pitocin Overuse
The award-winning Detroit, MI attorneys at ABC Law Centers secured a $1.825 million settlement for a child with developmental delays and cognitive impairments due to deceleration of heart rate, overuse of the delivery drug Pitocin and delivery-related trauma.
The Case: Fetal Oxygen Deprivation, Intracranial Hemorrhaging, Seizures After Birth and Birth Trauma
In this case, fetal monitoring strips showed a significant drop in the fetus’ heart rate in early labor, resulting in a decrease of oxygen to vital tissues and the brain. This causes a neonatal brain injury called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), resulting in cell death and subsequent brain damage. Persistent hyperstimulation of contractions during labor occurred as well; this complication meant that uterine contractions occurred too frequently, limiting the blood flow through the umbilical cord and causing serious fetal oxygen deprivation. Moreover, after the mother delivered vaginally, the baby was found to have cerebral hemorrhages (also known as ‘intracranial hemorrhages’ or ‘brain bleeds’) and ischemia (low blood flow to the brain), along with seizures after birth. The child also showed signs of trauma due to cephalopelvic disproportion (otherwise known as CPD, a condition where the child’s head is too large to fit through the pelvic opening).
The Result: Pitocin Overuse and Traumatic Injury During Labor
Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers argued that the drop in the baby’s heart rate occurred due to the overuse of Pitocin, a delivery drug with highly specific guidelines for use. The defendant responded with a claim that the fetal monitor strips were normal and that the traumatic injury didn’t fit the criteria for injuries sustained during labor. The defense also attempted to state that there was no CPD and that the child was not as developmentally delayed as plaintiffs had stated.
Reiter and Walsh secured $1.825 million in compensatory damages for this case.
About ABC Law Centers
The attorneys at ABC Law Centers, located near Detroit, MI, have helped dozens of families affected by birth injuries of all types. Attorney Jesse Reiter, president of ABC Law Centers, has been focusing solely on birth injury cases since 1987. Our partners, Jesse Reiter and Rebecca Walsh, are recognized as two of the best medical malpractice lawyers in America by U.S. News and World Report, which also recognized ABC Law Centers as one of the best medical malpractice law firms in the nation. Our firm’s dedicated medical staff allows Reiter & Walsh, PC to provide unique perspectives on birth injury, and our proven track record of successes reflects our firm’s exceptional results in this field.
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We have helped children nationwide obtain compensation for lifelong treatment, therapy, and a secure future, and we give personal attention to each child and family we represent. Our Michigan birth injury law firm has numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements that attest to our success.