$12 Million Settlement for Birth Injury in Illinois

ROCKFORD, Ill. — According to a Business Wire release, the family of a brain-damaged boy, severely injured during birth, settled its medical malpractice lawsuit against St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford for $12 million. The settlement is the largest of any personal injury case in Winnebago County.

The child, now 4 years old, has spastic quadriparesis, a form of cerebral palsy. He remains dependent on a ventilator and requires around-the-clock care. According to the lawsuit, hospital staff failed to recognize that baby was positioned for a breech delivery, failed to recognize signs of fetal distress and failed to deliver him by Caesarian section in a timely way. As a result, he did not receive sufficient oxygen during delivery and suffered massive brain damage.

“A failure to communicate accurate information and take appropriate action doomed this child’s future,” said the family's attorney. “The nursing staff assumed – but failed to verify – the fetal presentation. Given the wrong information, [the doctor] accelerated the labor and the child suffered catastrophic injuries.” See more details here...