HSPRD Attorneys Secure Defense Verdict for Chicago Obstetrician

On May 22, 2017, HSPRD attorneys Catherine Reiter and Jennifer Heydemann secured a defense verdict on behalf of a Chicago-area obstetrician who plaintiff claimed was negligent during the delivery of a 10.4 lb. baby at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in 2006. The obstetrician recognized shoulder dystocia, an obstetrical emergency, when the baby’s shoulders did not deliver following delivery of the head. Standard maneuvers were performed to release the anterior shoulder, or the right shoulder in this case, from behind the mother’s pubic bone. The shoulder dystocia was resolved in approximately 40 seconds. After delivery, the baby’s left arm was noted to be weak, and permanent brachial plexus injury was diagnosed. Plaintiff claimed that the obstetrician applied excessive upward traction during her efforts to resolve the shoulder dystocia, resulting in injury to the nerves in the posterior arm. After a week-long trial, the jury deliberated for under 3 hours before returning a defense verdict.

With one of the most experienced medical malpractice defense groups in Chicago, HSPRD brings extensive organizational resources to the defense of birth trauma cases and risk management consultations to help reduce exposure arising from obstetrical care. Our attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience in defending medical professionals and entities against negligence claims. Hundreds of physicians, nurses and therapists have relied on us for their defense, and we represent most of the Chicago-area’s major medical centers.

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