It isn’t entirely uncommon for mothers in Oregon or elsewhere to suffer injuries during childbirth. When they do, particularly when those injuries are life-changing, it is reasonable to question if medical negligence was to blame. For the last several months, the family of a woman in another state has been trying to find out how a seemingly routine labor and delivery left their loved one in a semi-conscious state. So far, they claim the hospital is refusing to offer much insight as to the cause of her brain injury.
July 19, 2020, was supposed to be one of the most exciting days in the lives of a 28-year-old woman and her boyfriend. She started active labor and went to her local hospital to deliver her little girl, but by the morning of July 20, her labor was slow to progress, and her doctor suggested she deliver via cesarean section. According to her boyfriend, it was not what she wanted, but she agreed. A short time later, a healthy baby was delivered, but the mother coded. When the boyfriend saw her again, she was in the intensive care unit in a coma.
Months later, the family has learned little about what happened during the surgery. All they know is that their loved one’s heart stopped for unknown reasons and it took medical providers nine minutes to revive her — her brain being deprived of oxygen that entire time. The family obtained a court order to gain access to the woman’s medical records, but the hospital has failed to comply.
The woman is currently residing in a rehabilitation center where she is slowly beginning to move and making attempts to speak. Before all this happened, she was healthy and active. Obviously, this is a struggle for her to lose so much of herself and a struggle for her loved ones to help her through this. Her prognosis is unclear.
Maternal birth injuries cause families in Oregon and elsewhere to suffer physical, financial and emotional losses, both immediate and long-term. If medical malpractice is to blame, victims may seek compensation for their losses through legal means. In the case mentioned above, if the medical staff is found responsible for the victim’s brain injury, her loved ones may seek maximum relief on her behalf, through negotiations or, if necessary, litigation.