Injuries suffered at birth are among the most devastating and tragic for victims and their families.  And when such injuries result from negligence, there is no good answer to families who ask why is my child hurt?  In the last decade, many of these injuries occurred close to home — at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC).

While risk to both the mother and child is inherent in every birth, the negligence that occurred at TAMC has tarnished or destroyed the lives of individuals and families who sought medical help.  Consider these cases:

  • Suffering symptoms consistent with preeclampsia and 8.5 months pregnant, 26-year old Tina Long checked into TAMC.  Placed in a hospital room, Ms. Long was not monitored ¾ and was eventually found unresponsive by nursing staff.  Both Ms. Long and her baby boy, Hunter, died.
  • Born in 2005 at TAMC, Kayla McCaw suffered cerebral palsy after a series of birth injuries left her disabled.  After delayed delivery, Kayla suffered oxygen deprivation when oxygen was delivered via tube to her stomach instead of her lungs and brain, causing irreversible brain damage.  These mistakes led to an $11 million settlement between her parents and TAMC.
  • Requiring oxygen shortly after birth at TAMC, Izzy Peterson was instead given carbon dioxide for approximately 40 minutes, suffering permanent brain damage.  His parents won a $16.5 million verdict against TAMC in 2006.

As the largest local treatment facility for military, veteran and other personnel, TAMC has made headlines far too often for egregious medical errors.  While these medical malpractice cases reveal the breadth of problems at TAMC, settlements and verdicts awarded to injured families do not restore health or life span to those damaged by medical negligence.

Personal injury law firms represent children and families devastated by catastrophic birth injury.  If you, or a loved one, suffer injury at TAMC or another healthcare facility, get good legal advice about your rights and their responsibilities.

Posted in Personal Injury