Epidural damages results in $4.25 million malpractice award

A woman has been awarded $4.25 million in a malpractice lawsuit after she suffered permanent injury to her spinal cord. The incident happened in 2009 during the birth of her baby.

According to the lawsuit, the Bridgeport woman was hit in the terminal spinal cord with the epidural needle. This caused a cystic lesion, which “has … permanently deprived [the woman] of her ability to carry on and enjoy life’s activities.” During an interview with Fox CT, she said that she “went in to have my baby and I didn’t expect my life to be changed so drastically.”

The anesthesiologist had just finished up a 24 hour shift when the woman needed the epidural. The anesthesiologist put the needle into the wrong section of her back. It took the jury two and a half days to award the woman $4.25 million in the case.

This is a classic case of a medical malpractice and doctor’s errors lawsuit. The scope of such instances — where a medical professional breaches the expected standard of care — can be vast. In this situation, since the mother was negatively affected by a doctor’s error, she had the right to pursue compensation from the at fault party.

Medical malpractice lawsuits can take quite some time to conclude. It’s important to have an experienced attorney by your side as your case makes its way through civil court. There is no excuse for this woman having to suffer in pain for the rest of her life because of a doctor’s error — especially a professional who was overly tired as was proven to be the case in this unfortunate episode.

Source: foxct.com, “Bridgeport woman awarded $4.25 million after epidural causes lasting damage,” Samantha Schoenfeld, May. 05, 2015