A medical malpractice lawsuit was filed over the allegedly wrongful death of an infant. The plaintiffs claim that had the physician acted according to protocol during an emergency, their child would have lived.

The medical malpractice lawsuit was filed in Maryland against Three Lower Counties Community Services Inc. and Dr. Kelli Lutrell. Dr. Lutrell was the individual allegedly guilty for the birth injuries.

On Jan. 23, 2013, the mother was brought to the hospital with severe vaginal bleeding and rupture of the amniotic sac. The fetal heart monitor showed that the unborn child was not doing well. It is believed that what happened was a placental abruption. The mother had been pregnant for 27 weeks by the time of the medical emergency, according to the birth injury lawsuit.

Dr. Lutrell allegedly did not treat or classify this case as an emergency, according to the medical malpractice lawsuit allegations. She failed to contact the appropriate specialists and did not call for an immediate emergency Cesarean section delivery.

The baby girl was born 3.5 hours after the mother arrived at the hospital. She had allegedly suffered from hypoxia, which means her brain was completely without oxygen. Oxygen depravation can lead to cerebral palsy, a birth injury that is also commonly named in medical malpractice lawsuits. The Cesarean section delivery also allegedly also put the infant in danger.

The birth injuries were allegedly caused by the doctor’s negligence. The infant died shortly after she was born, causing extreme psychological and emotional pain and suffering for her parents and additional loved ones, the birth injury lawsuit alleges.

The medical malpractice lawsuit claims that had Dr. Lutrell acted according to the true emergency status of the case that the child would have lived as the birth injuries would have been avoided.

Birth Injuries Lawsuits

Many families may have been victims of medical malpractice, which led to a child’s birth injuries. Common birth injuries include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Oxygen deprivation
• Mental retardation
• Erb’s palsy
• Klumpke’s palsy
• Brachial plexus
• Retinopathy of prematurity

While not always avoidable, birth injuries are often caused by the action of a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare personnel. If the child survives, which they often do, then the parents are given unexpected emotional and financial costs that they were not previously planning for. Education may be more expensive, the child could require additional treatment or caregiver, and the child may not be able to make as much in the future due to his or her birth injuries.