Mother Receives Record Award

A record breaking medical malpractice award shines a new light on the role hospitals play in the treatment of patients, and expands the scope of malpractice claims.

In April of 2004, Lisa Ewing entered the Hyde Park hospital of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Ewing, 40 weeks pregnant, sought medical attention because of decreased fetal movement. Despite repeated cries for help to the hospital staff, the doctors waited 12 hours to perform a c-section, even as the baby's oxygen levels dropped. When Isaiah was finally born, the lack of oxygen while he was in fetal distress had damaged his brain, leaving him with cerebral palsy.

After years of legal battles between the Ewing family and the hospital, the case finally reached a jury trail in 2016. The lawsuit detailed a series of more than 20 missteps and elements of medical malpractice on the part of the hospital, and sought compensation for damages and money to pay for the child?s long-term care. Hospital attorneys offered an alternative theory of the case that argued Isaiah contracted an infection at birth that caused the condition. After only four hours the jury returned a record breaking verdict in favor of the Ewing family for more than $53 million.

The Ewing case raises interesting concerns for Chicago medical malpractice attorneys and throughout the country. In most jurisdictions, hospitals are protected from malpractice claims because the doctors working at the hospital are considered contractors and not employees. The Ewing verdict demonstrated that judges and the legal system are becoming more open to claims of malpractice beyond just the actions of a single physician to include the complete portrait of patient care from arrival to discharge.

Howard Ankin, a Chicago medical malpractice attorney, says the verdict will have ripple effects throughout the entire healthcare system. ?Hospitals establish procedures, train staff, and create standards for treatment. It?s only natural the hospital be held accountable for the actions people take in its name.?

Company :-Ankin Law Office LLC

User :- Howard Ankin

Email :-howard@ankinlaw.com

Phone :-312-600-0000

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Url :- http://ankinlaw.com/