In this case, our client was a Pierce County infant and his family. Although clinic personnel at the clinic the mother went to for pregnancy care recognized her as a high-risk patient, her care was transferred to an unlicensed third-year family medicine resident whose labor and delivery experience consisted of ten weeks of training at a local hospital.
The baby was born with severe injuries, which we argued were due to asphyxiation caused by multiple acts of negligence and failures of care during labor and delivery. He will require life long around-the-clock care and will be unable to independently perform any of the activities of daily living.
The defense argued that the infant’s injuries were probably caused by factors unrelated to healthcare, possibly including poor nutrition (lack of food) and a blow to the mother’s abdomen during pregnancy.