$2.2 Million Settlement For Wrongful Death Of Newborn

Kevin Golden reached a $2.2 million settlement with Northwestern Hospital and the attending obstetrician/gynecologist of a child who died one day after being born at the hospital. The estate alleged that the staff contacted the attendant on several occasions after the fetal monitoring strips revealed prolonged decelerations. After the nurse contacted the attending after the third time and asked her to come to the hospital, the attending did not come and instructed the nurse to perform the vaginal exam. The unit attending instructed the nurse to tell the OB/GYN that she was required to come to the hospital to perform the exam herself. Upon arriving at the hospital, the OB/GYN ordered an emergency C-section before the vaginal exam and then decided it was best to proceed with a vaginal delivery. She was unable to deliver the baby because the baby’s head had become wedged into the mother’s pelvic bone. The baby suffered a comminuted skull fracture as well as subdural, subgaleal, and subarachnoid hemorrhages. She passed away eight hours later. The baby would have been a healthy child otherwise.