Birth Injury / Spinal Cord

J.P. vs County

The parents of this little girl came to us when she was three years old. Although bright and alert and talking up a storm she could not walk. She had been to many doctors to find out why. Tests at Children's Hospital were inconclusive. The parents were told the child must have a rare muscle disease.

When the parents first came to us we asked them about the delivery of the baby. We learned that the delivery was highly unusual - a vaginal breech delivery. These types of deliveries had generally not been done on term babies in the United States for many years because of the risk of damages to the child's spinal cord. We obtained the MRI done shortly after birth. It was dramatic. It showed evidence that the child's spinal cord had nearly been ripped apart. We took those records and the MRI to the head of neurology at Children's Hospital. His first remark was "Oh my God!" He stopped all studies and changed the diagnosis of her inability to walk to birth trauma.

We filed suit against the hospitals and individuals involved in the mother's prenatal care and the delivery. The result was a $120,000,000. payout over the life of the patient.

The child now has the best care, equipment and help available. She is learning to walk with assistance. She is planning to go to college.