Sullivan Papain Secures $8.38 Million Settlement in Birth Injury Case

Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C. is proud to announce a settlement of $8,388,622.07 secured by member Eleni Coffinas on behalf of a mother and her young daughter who suffered life-altering injuries due to medical negligence during labor and delivery. 

The case involved a failure to properly monitor and respond to signs of fetal distress, resulting in catastrophic injuries to the child. The mother, 31.4 weeks pregnant, presented to the hospital with complaints of decreased fetal movement and was placed on fetal monitoring for approximately five hours. Notwithstanding worrisome findings on the fetal monitoring, the mother was discharged only to be called back five hours later. Once the mother arrived back at the hospital, she was placed back on fetal monitoring which showed continued potentially worrisome findings. 

Plaintiffs claimed that the hospital should have anticipated a pre-mature delivery and prepared for same by giving the mother a steroid to mature the infant’s lungs. The steroid works best if administered for a period of 48 hours before delivery. Unfortunately, it was not administered soon enough. The mother received the first dose of the steroid which was administered approximately twenty-four hours prior to delivery and the second dose only two hours prior to delivery. 

This failure by the hospital led to the infant suffering a severe brain injury, specifically, cerebral palsy secondary to an intraventricular hemorrhage, and other physical impairments following delivery.

Now six years old, the child faces lifelong challenges. She can walk only with the help of an adult or walker, cannot run or play with peers, and requires full assistance with daily activities like dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting. She will continue to require multiple surgeries, therapies, and extensive care throughout her life.

Learn More About Firm Member Eleni Coffinas

Eleni Coffinas, a member of the firm, is a vigorous advocate for people injured due to medical malpractice. Her legal skills and experience have helped her clients achieve many multimillion-dollar settlements. Ms. Coffinas handles all types of medical malpractice cases, including birth injuries, cancer diagnosis delay, and surgical and cardiac cases.

To learn more about Firm Member Eleni Coffinas, click here.