Properly monitoring a child’s health in the first few days after birth can be integral to protecting his or her well-being. If medical professionals in New York fail to identify and respond to any health issues that arise, the child could suffer severe or permanent harm in the process. A family in another state was recently awarded a judgment of almost $19 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit after failing to detect and treat an infection caused their newborn child to suffer permanent brain damage.
Recent lawsuit
According to reports, the incident began just eight days after the child was born while he was still in the hospital. The lawsuit states that the child fell ill and that doctors diagnosed him with digestive issues. However, his condition continued to worsen and he was subsequently transferred to another medical facility for additional care.
After arriving at the facility, doctors diagnosed him with a severe infection known as meningitis. Doctors at this facility indicate that there was nothing they could do to reverse the damage by the time this diagnosis was reached. The delay in treatment caused the infection to spread and caused the child to suffer permanent harm. The family filed a lawsuit accusing the facility of failing to take the proper steps to monitor their child’s health.
Permanent injuries
Failure to diagnose and treat an infection is a type of medical malpractice that could place the well-being of a newborn child at significant risk. Families in New York who face such an outcome due to the negligent actions of medical professionals may face an understandable desire for answers on their available legal avenues. When facing such hardships, a person could benefit from retaining the services of an attorney for guidance in preparing to pursue the restitution entitled through a medical malpractice claim against all parties deemed responsible.