The possibility of medical malpractice causing serious, irreversible injuries of a newborn child is every new parent's worst nightmare. That nightmare became a reality for the Gurnee-based Arroyo family in 2003, whose son became a quadriplegic as a result of medical malpractice during his delivery, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Stories of medical malpractice like this one makes any parent worry about their own children's safety.
Seven difficult years and countless court proceedings later, the Arroyos have been awarded $22.6 million dollars by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve; on top of a $6.5 million dollar settlement reached with the hospital in 2009.
Expectant first-time mother Maria Arroyo and her in-utero child, Christian Arroyo, contracted an infection before she went into labor. The boy showed signs of infection during the early stages of labor, but it went untreated and eventually made its way through the child's bloodstream and into his brain; causing permanent brain damage.
Illinois injury attorney David J. Pritchard, representing the plaintiffs, explained how the federally employed physicians at Northwestern Memorial Hospital were negligent:
"Had the federal government's doctors followed the standard of care and provided the antibiotics to Maria or Christian at the appropriate times, Christian would have been a normal baby boy."
The result of his brain injuries has been devastating. Christian, now seven years old, is a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. He is unable to walk, speak, or eat food by mouth.
Mr. Pritchard and other lawyers at his firm sued in federal court under the Federal Tort Claims Act, allowing citizens to sue the federal government.
Flawless childbirth experiences are never guaranteed. But if negligence by physicians or other hospital staff results in serious injury to your newborn, it's usually in your family's best interests to contact an Illinois injury lawyer to see if you have a medical malpractice case.
Related Resources:
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Cerebral Palsy and Erbs Palsy (FindLaw)
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Search Chicago Injury Lawyers (FindLaw)
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