A 10-year old girl was awarded $3 million in a birth injury case on Thursday, June 30, 2011. Hannah Tilton was born with severe mental retardation. She has to eat through a feeding tube and is limited to a wheelchair. She is also blind and cannot speak.
The girl’s father filed suit claiming that the midwife who helped deliver her failed to provide adequate care. The jury came to a 6-3 vote in favor of the plaintiff.
Hannah Tilton was awarded $2.3 million for medical care and long-term treatment costs, $345,000 for past medical bills and $500,000 for her permanent disability and loss of quality of life.
Civil juries are required to reach a majority opinion based on preponderance of evidence and are not required to reach a unanimous decision as in a criminal trial.
When doctors, nurses, midwives, or other healthcare providers fail to provide a certain standard of care before, during or after the delivery of a baby, the parents can bring lawsuits on behalf of their injured children.
If your child is born with a severe birth injury, you can seek compensation to help ensure a higher quality of life for your child. To speak with a qualified and highly experienced Connecticut birth injury lawyer, please contact Berkowitz and Hanna LLC today.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately three percent of all babies born in the United States suffer from birth defects, and these defects account for 20 percent of all infant deaths – more than any other cause. While not all of these defects result from medical negligence, many of them do. Some of the most-common defects resulting from substandard care include:
As demonstrated in the tragic case of Hannah Tilton, and so many other cases in Connecticut and around the country, the financial and non-financial losses resulting from medical mistakes during labor and delivery can be substantial. For many families, the cost of necessary long-term medical care can be insurmountable; sadly, many children are never able to live the life they deserve. Despite their prevalence, medical mistakes can – and should – be avoided. Medical professionals and facilities that make mistakes deserve to be held accountable, and families who are forced to endure the effects of mistakes during childbirth deserve to be fully compensated. Contact our Connecticut birth injury attorney today.
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