A medical mistake during the birth of a child can cause a lifetime injury for the child’s family. When medical mistakes occur, which interrupt or deprive an otherwise healthy baby of oxygen during birth, the family of the child is suddenly facing a tragic future. A child that would have grown, gained independence, and ultimately self-support, now represents a permanent demand for care and assistance from the family.
A child suffering brain damage during birth will, in severe cases, require 24/7 nursing care, expensive home medical equipment, and specialized efforts towards therapy and basic development. These medical costs can exceed several million dollars of the child’s lifetime. There is, in addition, the emotional strain and toll that a family suffers as well, beginning with the haunting question of “what could have been” if the child had not suffered the medical mistake. It is difficult for a family with a severely injured child to get away for vacation, or to advance in a career, especially where out of town travel is required.
While a jury verdict for a family in such a situation may often involve one to two or even three million dollars, this figure is sadly inadequate to provide the care that the child and family will require over the child’s lifetime, and ultimately the child will need governement provided assistance.
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