Medical Malpractice: Birth injury
Settlement: $2,700,000

Patient's mother came to hospital with ruptured membranes on July 4, 1989. Even though the nurse performed a vaginal exam (increasing risk of infection) the patient was sent home. She returned the next morning with "prolonged rupture of membranes." She was admitted, and developed a low-grade fever, probably due to chorio- amnionitis. Baby boy born with normal APGAR scores, without fetal distress, but developed low-grade fever in first day of life. At 30 hours of age, baby had cardiopulmonary arrest and was found by nurse pale and not breathing. He was resuscitated but suffered severe hypoxic brain damage due to apnea.