For the majority of North Carolina residents, the birth of a baby is a miraculous and joyous occasion. Most new parents are so excited while going through the labor and delivery process that they become blind to the fact that things can go wrong. When parents consider the possible problems that can occur in the delivery room, they rarely consider that those “difficulties” can come at the hands of hospital staff.
A Union County couple, are currently embroiled in litigation over a medical error after three years of turmoil.
The happy couple welcomed a baby girl in November of 2008. According to the girl’s mother, her labor progressed so rapidly that her doctor had not yet arrived when the time came to push. The woman began to push under the supervision of her nurse. In a shocking turn of events, upon her final push, the woman’s baby struck the nurse in the chest and the nurse subsequently dropped the baby onto the floor. The baby’s head is said to have struck a bucket as she fell.
Naturally, the parents were appalled. However, hospital staff kept assuring the couple that everything was fine — despite the fact that when the baby was first placed on her mother’s chest, she was purple in color and was not crying. A neurologist examined the baby, and concluded she had suffered a skull fracture and a hematoma resulted from her injury.
Almost three years have passed, and since day one, the couple has been struggling to find answers. As a result of the medical error, and a lack of cooperation on the part of the hospital, the couple decided to file suit for medical malpractice and hospital negligence. A spokesperson for the hospital told reporters that no comments would be made on the pending litigation.
Hospital staff should be held liable for any negligence or inappropriate actions that lead to the injury or illness of a hospital patient — regardless of age. However, this story is all the more tragic because of the innocence and fragility of a newborn infant.
Greenville parents who believe their child may have been harmed during labor and delivery may benefit from consultation with legal counsel experienced in medical malpractice and hospital negligence as it pertains to medical errors in pregnancy and birth.
Source: The WSOC TV Channel 9, “Family Sues Hospital, Says Infant Was Dropped During Delivery,” Sept. 6, 2011