Family Awarded $7.9 M in Chicago Birth Injury Case
Bruce Pfaff settled a Chicago birth injury case with a suburban physician’s group for $7.9 million on behalf of a four-year-old child with moderate cerebral palsy due to a physician’s neglect in delaying delivery. The case was settled within six months of filing, greatly reducing lawyers’ expenses and fees.
Doctor’s Mistake Led to Birth Injury
The doctor should have understood that the fetal heart tracings showed an ominous pattern indicative of hypoxia and ischemia and that a cesarean delivery was necessary to protect the baby. Instead, he proceeded to a vaginal delivery, delaying the birth and increasing the baby's exposure to harm.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy refers to a spectrum of chronic movement disorders that affect the body and muscle coordination. While the movement disorders vary from mild to severe, the most common symptoms of cerebral palsy include one or more of the following:
- Stiff, spastic muscles
- Difficulty learning to walk and talk
- Difficulty grabbing objects
- Involuntary muscle movement
- Vision impairments
- Seizures
Cerebral Palsy: Birth Injury
Every year approximately 8,000 babies are born with cerebral palsy. One of the leading causes of cerebral palsy is asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, to the infant’s brain during the birthing process. In many cases, this can be prevented with special attention and care by the doctor. If the doctor sees signs of distress before or during labor, he or she should speed up delivery by initiating an emergency cesarean.
If the doctor delays delivery or attempts to deliver the baby vaginally, the baby’s risk of developing cerebral palsy or another birth injury is substantially increased.
Recovering Compensation for Birth Injuries
Having a new child is one of the most special moments in a parent’s life. When medical mistakes occur, resulting in birth injuries, it causes a life-time of devastation and trauma for both the injured infant and his or her family. Most children with cerebral palsy will need life-time care and treatment for their condition.
Personal injury lawyers and law firms who are experienced in handling cases involving birth injuries are able to help the injured and their families recover compensation to help with the lifetime medical bills and expenses that follow a birth injury. They will also fight to recover compensation for other losses associated with the injury, including:
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Physical pain and disfigurement
- Permanent disabilities
- Life-long treatment and care
Contact Pfaff & Gill For Help Today
If you or someone you love has a child that was born with cerebral palsy and you suspect it was caused by a medical mistake, please contact Pfaff & Gill for help today. We will thoroughly investigate the situation, using medical professionals, and will fight aggressively to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable.
To schedule a confidential, complimentary consultation with Attorney Bruce Pfaff or another highly-skilled Pfaff & Gill Chicago medical malpractice attorney, please call us today (312) 828-9666. We are standing by to help you.
What We Do
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Vehicle Related Cases
- Automotive Defects
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
Causes: Seat Belt Injuries - Tire Blow Out - Seat Back Failure - Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Personal Injuries
Birth Injuries
Medical Malpractice and Neglijence
Defective Products
Wrongful Death
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Awards & Ratings
- Bruce Pfaff has been named one of Chicago's Best Lawyers in the 2010 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of personal injury ligation, product liability litigation, and medical malpractice law. Best Lawyers® is considered the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.
- Bruce Pfaff is currently ranked one of the Top 100 Illinois Lawyers by Super Lawyers and The American Trial Lawyers’ Association
- Super Lawyers selected both Michael Gill and Matthew Ports as Rising Stars in Illinois - the top lawyers under 40 years old.
- The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin has recognized Michael Gill as one of its “40 Lawyers Under 40 To Watch”
- Bruce Pfaff has the highest possible ratings given by Martindale Hubbell (“A.V.”) and AVVO.com (“10.0 Superb”)
- Michael Gill is rated “9.2 Superb” by AVVO.com and "A.V." by Martindale Hubbell
- The Leading Lawyers Network recognizes both Bruce Pfaff and Michael Gill as among the top 5% of lawyers in Illinois in the areas of Personal Injury law and Professional Malpractice law.
Verdicts & Settlements
- R.B. v. Garage Door Manufacturer $9,000,000 settlement for the family of a 4-year-old boy who suffered brain injuries after being trapped under a garage door.
- L.C. V. Ford Motor Co.
$14,500,000 verdict for a woman who became paraplegic when her 1991 Ford Explorer was rear ended. - K.B. v. Kim
$30,000,000 jury verdict for a six-year-old girl who suffered cerebral palsy due to a delayed emergency cesarean section delivery. - D.B. v. Advocate Medical Group, S.C.
$10,500,000 jury verdict for a 72-year-old woman who suffered an above knee amputation of her leg due to a failure of the emergency room doctor to diagnose bacterial cellulites.
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