Settlement Reached in Brain Injury Case Involving a Virginia Hospital

In 2006, the child's mother, 35 weeks pregnant, checked into the Virginia hospital with severe cramping in her lower abdomen. The hospital moved the mother to a triage room and connected her to a fetal heart monitor, which showed abnormalities indicating the fetus was under stress. Instead of notifying a doctor, the staff allegedly left the mother for more than an hour without help.

Over two hours went by before doctors performed an emergency cesarean section (i.e. c-section). The doctors determined the placenta detached from the uterine wall causing oxygen loss to the fetus.  The child was born pale and limp, with respiratory failure and a slow heart rate, causing extensive, severe, and permanent brain injuries.   

A settlement was reached with $54,000 going towards medical bills and $1.57 million going into a trust fund set up for the child. The government admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement and denied any medical malpractice.