Stillbirths are perhaps the worst tragedy to befall expectant parents. Not only do they have to endure the pain associated with the death of a child, but a mother will have to endure the entire delivery process, only to hold the body of her lifeless baby in the end. Often, stillbirths occur naturally, through no fault of doctor or patient. However, other on other occasions, medical negligence is to blame. It is for these cases that medical malpractice lawyers believe parents are due compensation.
$1 Million Awarded for Pain and Suffering
In 2004, New York’s highest court ruled that women can sue for emotional suffering if their stillbirth is a result of medical malpractice. There have now been a couple cases moving through the legal system that are determining what is justified compensation.
Lucia Ferreira was awarded $1 million in a New York court in February for pain and suffering after she lost her baby during a home labor. During her last three visits to the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, she complained of abdominal pain but was only given painkillers and sent home.
After the Ferreira case, lawyer Jeff Korek is fighting for more money for his client Vivian Acevedo. He is trying to reason that $1 million should be the standard for medical malpractice stillborn cases. The Acevedo case is against Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center for a delayed emergency Caesarean that caused the child to be stillborn. Lincoln Medical offered $500,000 but she turned it down.
Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If you or a family member has recently suffered a stillbirth or has been the victim of medical negligence, and you would like to speak to someone about your legal options please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, a 42-year-old man died after suffering second and third degree burns at the St. Charles Health Care Center. Around 9 p.m. on August 2, 2011, the man, who was wrapped in gauze for treatment, entered into an argument with another resident, 72-year-old Joann Everett, when his dressing ignited in flames. The nursing home staff extinguished the fire before the firefighters arrived on the scene. The victim was taken to Baton Rouge General Medical Center where he was treated for the burns that covered 80 percent of his body. The man died the next day as a direct result of the burns he sustained. The New Orleans Parish coroner determined the death a homicide. Everett is in custody at a local hospital and will be arrested and charged with homicide and aggravated arson. Police have not stated what started the argument, how the man’s gauze caught fire, or the victim’s name. 
Linda Johnson saw Dr. Ernest N. Pennington in January 2008 for impressions of her mouth that were being used as preparation for a bridge that she was having placed. According to the complaint that was filed by her 
Amy M. Armstrong, 40, a hospice nurse in Woodstock, Georgia, is being charged with stealing medication from an elderly patient. After a family member went to the authorities with the possible theft of narcotic painkillers, agents with the Cherokee narcotics squad used video to catch Armstrong taking the pills from a patient. The agents then found more pills, including pain killers and anti-depressants, in her possession. She was arrested on August 23, 2011 and charged with two counts of felony theft by taking, two counts of elder abuse, two counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance, and a single count of possession of a schedule III controlled substance. Armstrong is being held at the Cherokee Adult Detention Center under a $75,000 bond.
After almost two weeks of trial, a jury awarded the family of Dorothy Douglas a total of $91.5 million in damages. The jury found that the facility and the staff failed to feed and care for Douglas and indirectly caused her death. Dorothy Douglas suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and several other conditions. Prior to moving into a nursing home, while Douglas was living with her son, her heath had improved. She could speak, walk and recognize loved ones. But in 2009, during the short three-week period when Douglas was a resident of the Heartland of Charleston nursing home, her health deteriorated. When she was transferred to the Heritage Center nursing home, she had lost 15 pounds, was dehydrated and unresponsive. The day after she was transferred, September 24, 2009, Douglas died at the age of 87 at the Cabell Huntington Hospital.
Initially, Susan Piro cancelled the trip she planned to take to America. However, the vacation became too hard to resist, and Susan departed, leaving her mother behind. Ironically, the point of the excursion was to visit places in America her mother had once lived. Susan’s selfish and clouded judgement have now prevented her from ever being able to share these memories with her mother.