While there are many cases dealing with medical negligence, there are few that have the impact that the loss of unborn children creates. In most situations, the exact terms of financial settlements are not disclosed. However, New Mexico readers may be interested in the recent award of $4.25 million in a medical malpractice case involving twin fetuses.
According to a recent article, the initial lawsuit claimed that hospital physicians neglected to properly monitor a woman who was carrying 33-week-old twins. The catastrophic event occurred on March 2, 2009. Because she was not monitored correctly while at the hospital, doctors missed the fact that the pregnant woman had preeclampsia. This is a very serious medical condition that causes extremely high blood pressure.
Because this condition was not diagnosed, the woman suffered a seizure which resulted in her placenta detaching from her womb. The twins she was carrying were tragically delivered stillborn as a result of the event. Though the hospital and physicians involved attempted to seal the terms of the settlement from the public, they were unsuccessful. The judge in the case ruled that the public needed to know, and that this need outweighed the concerns that the defendants’ lawyers had about the privacy of their clients.
When facing such a tragic situation, surviving family members in New Mexico may not have a desire to do anything except grieve for their loss. While this is perfectly understandable, it could benefit the family to speak with an attorney shortly following an event where hospital and/or physician negligence is the suspected cause of a loved one’s death. An attorney who has experience in medical malpractice litigation could be in the best position to guide the family through the legal options available.