$9.5 Million Settlement Awarded to Mother in Cerebral Palsy Case

An Illinois woman, who filed a medical negligence lawsuit after her daughter was born with a severe case of cerebral palsy and other birth defects, settled a $9,500,000 lawsuit with the hospital and doctors who she claims were directly responsible for her daughter’s condition.

Details of the Case

In October 2001, Tanisha Grant went to the PCC Wellness Center at West Suburban Clinic for a routine prenatal checkup. During the exam, it was determined that Grant was eclamptic—a complication of late pregnancy usually linked to high blood pressure—and was admitted into the hospital.

Grant was attached to a fetal monitor and labor was induced. Early the next morning, she went into labor and began pushing, without much progress. Grant experienced episodes of hyperstimulation of the uterus and the fetal heart tone decelerated during the labor.

Equipment Malfunction

Furthermore, the fetal monitor malfunctioned, failing to accurately observe the contractions. However, signs of consistent fetal stress and distress were found in traces of the recording.

According to the medical malpractice lawsuit filed against the hospital and several doctors and other healthcare practitioners, Drs. Lopez, Macumber, Smith, and Tarpey failed to recognize the serious changes in the fetal heart rate and take prompt action that would have prevented the newborn from suffering birth injuries.

Emergency C-Section

An emergency cesarean section was ordered too late and the baby girl wasn’t breathing when she was born. Da’Janae was transferred to a nearby children’s hospital and was diagnosed with a serious case of cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia, and a seizure disorder.

The $9.5 million settlement will go to pay for Da’Janae’s long-term care.

Does your child have cerebral palsy? Please contact us today to speak with a trusted cerebral palsy lawyer who can evaluate your case FREE of charge and inform you of your legal rights and options.