Medical malpractice is always a serious matter. But when the victim of physician or hospital negligence is an infant, that can have life-altering consequences for both the child and his or her parents. A newborn who sustains a serious injury during birth, or at any point during the early months of life, may end up requiring a lifetime of medical and personal care. And the parents have a legal right–and moral responsibility–to try and hold the negligent healthcare providers liable for these past, present, and future damages.
Miami Hospital Denies Liability After Drug-Addicted Nurse Allegedly Caused 4-Month-Old’s Brain Damage
Recently, the Miami Herald reported the terrible case of a Miami-area child who suffered a traumatic brain injury while under the care of a local hospital. The child, who was just four months old at the time, had come down with the flu and was admitted to the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) where doctors inserted a breathing tube.
According to the parents, a male nurse who was allegedly under the influence of methamphetamines removed the breathing tube, which caused their son to suffer “acute hypoxia”–i.e., he was deprived of oxygen for somewhere between 7 and 13 minutes. This in turn led to the traumatic brain injury, which has left the now-2-year-old child unable to properly walk or speak. The child’s father told the Herald his son “needs a lot of therapy, and we still don’t know what the future holds.”
In their subsequent medical malpractice lawsuit, the parents pointed to the nurse’s “history of substance abuse” and improper training, which rendered him “unfit for duty as a nurse, especially caring for infants in the [PICU].” Indeed, on the night of their child’s injury, the parents allege the nurse was “shaking, sweating, had bloodshot eyes, [and] displayed bouts of delirium,” all of which indicated ongoing drug abuse. And in fact, the parents allege that the year before their child’s injury, the same nurse informed the hospital of his drug addiction and was allowed to continue working with patients.
The lawsuit accuses both the hospital and the nurse of medical malpractice. It further charges the hospital with negligent hiring and supervision with respect to the nurse. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages against both defendants.
For its part, the hospital and the nurse are contesting the malpractice lawsuit. Their attorney told the Herald that they “deny the plaintiffs’ description of events” and “always puts the health and safety of patients first.” Of course, a jury will ultimately decide whether or not that is true–the case is scheduled for trial on August 20, 2018.
Has Your Child Been Injured by Medical Malpractice in Miami? We Can Help
As this story illustrates, never assume that a negligent hospital or health care provider will own up to their mistakes. Even when your baby’s life has been irrevocably altered before it had a chance to begin, you may have to go to court and fight for proper compensation. If you find yourself in this situation, the experienced Miami medical malpractice attorneys at Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, can help. Call us today at 305-371-2692 or contact us online to schedule a consultation today.