Did OB ignore risk factors?
<court>Harris County (Tex) District Court</court>
A woman with gestational diabetes, significant maternal weight gain, and a prior macrosomic delivery presented for delivery, which became complicated by shoulder dystocia. The child suffered brachial plexus injury, leading to paralysis of her left arm and hand.
In suing, the plaintiffs alleged that the doctor used excessive force in delivering the child, and claimed he failed to appreciate the mother’s risk factors for a complicated delivery.
- The jury returned a defense verdict.
The cases in this column are selected by the editors of OBG Management from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts, with permission of the editor, Lewis Laska, of Nashville, Tenn (www.verdictslaska.com). While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.