Jury Says Hospital At Fault for Nurse Trainee Misreading Fetal Heart Monitor -- Awards $4.4 Million in Birth Injury

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South Carolina Jury Awards $4.4 Million in Birth Injury

A York County jury awarded $4.4 million to the parents of a child who suffered a brain injury at birth leading to cerebral palsy diagnosis. The award was against Piedmont Hospital.

"The jury said the hospital was at fault when it assigned a nurse trainee to monitor a woman, who arrived three days before her scheduled induction with nausea and vomiting. The nurse misread fetal heart monitoring data showing the baby was in dire distress and needed emergency intervention, according to the plaintiffs."

Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Perennial Powerhouse Lubin & Meyer

BOSTON — Medical malpractice lawyers at law firm Lubin & Meyer PC top the charts once again in the annual listing by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly of the largest verdicts and settlements of the year. Each January, the publication compiles the top verdicts of the year and top settlements of $1 million or more. And each year, one name turns up again and again. Lubin & Meyer, led by Andrew Meyer, far outpaced the pack with 2 of the top 5 verdicts in Massachusetts and 23 of the top settlements.

Attorney Robert Higgins tried the two medical malpractice verdicts: A much publicized $9.43 million verdict ($13.5 with interest) to the family of woman who died from an infection while undergoing cancer treatment at Dana Farber; and a $9.1 million verdict ($14.5 with interest) to the family of woman who died after thyroid surgery.

Of the 23 settlements, 22 were medical malpractice claims, many for baby's brain injuries leading to cerebral palsy, medical errors related to surgery and misdiagnoses of cancer. A summary list of these cases can be viewed on the firm's web site here: Largest settlements 2008.

Las Vegas, Nevada: Med Mal Jury Award Is $2.5M

Las Vegas ReviewJournal reports that a Clark County District Court jury awarded $2.5 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The suit contended that a physician and nurse were negligent and in not diagnosing a women's cancer. According to the report:

"Nevada caps malpractice lawsuit awards at $350,000 for pain and suffering. In this case, the jury awarded at least $2 million in "economic losses," or future lost wages."

See full article here. The verdict was reported to be the largest medical malpractice verdict in District Court since 2004, but a correction was printed later indicating a 2007 Clark County jury awarded $20.5 million to a woman whose husband died of lung cancer.