On May 21, 2008, a woman from Cincinnati, Ohio was awarded $22.6 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The woman was diagnosed with a narrow pelvic arch in 1997, during her first pregnancy with a nine-pound girl, but was allowed to give birth the natural way. This resulted in the girl spending 13 hours in the birth canal before being delivered by cesarean section.

In addition, the doctor who delivered the child continuously administered the patient drugs to make the uterus contract in hopes that the baby would come out, but it didn’t. This caused brain damage that is affecting the girl’s way of life: she can’t use her limbs properly, she can walk short distances but only with the aid of a walker, she has impaired vision, she has problems using her hands and is mildly retarded.

A jury found the doctor and her doctors group, Group Health Associates, negligent, ordering them to pay the family $22,646,023 in damages. The money will be used to pay for the care of the child.

Source: Anna Boys, “Jury awards family $22.6 M for daughter harmed during birth,” eFluxMedia, May 21, 2008.