Newlyweds Sue Hospital for Medical Malpractice Over Sick Daughter

 Posted on August 14, 2018 in Medical Malpractice

A newlywed couple is suing two Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) doctors over an alleged improperly performed birth that left their newborn daughter permanently injured with cerebral palsy. The couple filed the lawsuit in early 2016 in the Hampshire Superior Court. According to the lawsuit, the doctors, Jay Sprong and Lisa Stephens, neglected to explain the risks of a vaginal birth after a previous Cesarean delivery (c-section).

The newborn's mother was admitted to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in 2013. She alleges that when her water broke, one of the doctors told her she could continue with a vaginal birth without mentioning any risks to her baby. The infant, however, showed signs of cardiac distress with her heart rate dropping as low as 50 beats per minute. The lawsuit points out that the doctors should have called for a c-section delivery.

The court pleadings explain that the mother's uterus ruptured, allowing baby girl to “float in a blood-filled abdominal cavity.” According to the pleading, this is because the doctors neglected the signs that the baby was in distress.

What are the Laws for Medical Malpractice?

If you are living in Illinois and suspect that you may be a victim of medical malpractice, talking with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer is the first step you should take as medical malpractice lawsuits in Illinois are subject to a statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations in Illinois is the deadline by which you may file a medical malpractice lawsuit. In Illinois, you must file your claim no more than two years after your medical injury or two years from the date you should have first noticed the medical injury. For example, if a surgeon leaves any surgical tools in your body after a procedure and you begin to feel pain three years after the surgery, your deadline for filing a claim will begin the first time you feel pain and end two years later. There is a four-year deadline from the date of medical treatment or a surgical procedure for all medical malpractice lawsuits in Illinois, no matter when the injury was first discovered. After four years, you do not have a right to sue your doctor. However, minors under the age of 18 are exempt from the eight-year deadline if the child's injuries were not reasonably discoverable by a parent or guardian.

What if My Doctor Injured Me?

Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor does not meet the industry's regular standards of care and you become injured as a result. If you are an Illinois resident in the Arlington Heights, Libertyville, Chicago, Fox River Grove, or Itasca area and you are suffering from a doctor-related injury, contact the lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP at 847-797-8000 for a complimentary evaluation of your case, or visit us online and complete the consultation form. For information about our firm, please visit our homepage and learn more on how we can help you. Our team is compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable in Illinois medical malpractice law.

(image courtesy of Carlo Navarro)