A boy who suffered severe birth injuries at a hospital within the Henry Ford Health System has been awarded a staggering $120 million by a jury.
On Thursday, March 28, the jury delivered the verdict. They determined that Henry Ford Health System, along with the attending obstetrician and nurses, were negligent for not performing a timely C-section, resulting in significant birth injuries.
In June 2010, the mother of the child arrived at Henry Ford Hospital. She was at term but not close to delivery, according to officials.
According to officials, the fetal monitor detected “non-reassuring fetal heart tones” after the admission, leading to the decision to perform a C-section.
Due to a delay of over two hours in the procedure, the infant experienced significant asphyxiation, leading to the development of cerebral palsy and permanent brain damage. As a result, the child will require lifelong care.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has joined the case against the defendants because they have incurred excessive costs for the medical care of the child, who is now 13 years old.
“When a fetal monitor indicates ‘Non-reassuring heart tones,’ it is a call to action, and time is of the essence to prevent the kind of injury this child suffered. It is outrageous that there was a more than two-hour delay for something that needs to be performed urgently.“This child will need medical and home care for the rest of his life, and while we cannot give him the quality of life he would have had but for this injury, we can only hope to give his additional therapies and services to help him deal with his disabilities and protect from the possibility of an early demise. This injury should have never happened. It was foreseeable and entirely preventable. We hope this verdict serves as a reminder to the obstetrical community that they should act expediently in the presence of non-reassuring fetal monitor patterns.”
“At Henry Ford Health, our patients are family, and we’ve been deeply saddened for the Drake family since the birth of their son more than a decade ago. At the same time, we do not believe the verdict is consistent with the facts of this case and plan to vigorously appeal the jury’s verdict. Given the ongoing nature of the case, we are not able to provide any additional comment at this time.”Henry Ford Health
