Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this birth injury/personal injury case and its proceedings.)
During the prenatal visit on March 3, 2004, Ms. White complained to Dr. Brown about pinching she was feeling at the cervix, to which Dr. Brown replied that it was caused by the way the babies were sitting in the uterus, that the head may be touching the cervix.
Dr. Brown did not do a vaginal exam to evaluate her cervix, or to see if it had lengthened or dilated. Furthermore, she failed to perform a transvaginal ultrasound which is commonly used to evaluate the cervix. It is doubtful that Dr. Brown had the competence to perform such an ultrasound.
The following day, on March 4, 2004, Ms. White experienced a little bit of pinkish discharge, and through the night started feeling cramping. The next morning, concerned that something was wrong, Ms. White called Universal Memorial Hospital, and they recommended that she come in to the Labor and Delivery Department, and be hooked up to a monitor to see what was going on. Dr. Gonzalez was the OB/GYN covering for Dr. Brown on that day. Upon examination, he performed a vaginal examination and determined that she was dilated 3 cm. He started her on medication in an attempt to stop the pre-term labor and further dilation of her cervix. At that time, Ms. White was in her 23rd week of the pregnancy.
Because Dr. Brown failed to timely diagnose preterm labor, the medication unfortunately was unable to reverse Ms. White’s condition, and Dr. Gonzalez’s intervention was unsuccessful in stopping further dilation of the cervix. Ms. White gave birth by C-Section to Tomas and Owen on XX/XX/2004. The twins were in grave condition upon birth and experienced intracranial bleeding. Their prognosis remained poor and after being told that the babies had suffered significant irreversible brain damage, life support was removed and they died on March 10, 2004.
(See Part 3 of 3.)
For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.