A doctor in Asheville is already under review for the deaths of three infants that occurred during and after home births he attended. Now, new information has revealed that he was also the subject of a 2007 birth injury lawsuit.
The child in the 2007 case was reportedly born in October 2005, and the parents in the case claimed that the doctor’s substandard medical treatment caused their daughter to be permanently disabled. According to the lawsuit, the girl sustained permanent disfigurement and the loss of normal use of her left hand and arm. The child also suffered skull fractures during the birth.
Court officials issued a default judgment against the doctor and his clinic in 2010. There were several allegations of poor treatment in the lawsuit, including:
- Usage of vacuum extractor and forceps despite that “same was contraindicated” in the child’s case and that his first attempt had failed
- He gave permission for the mother to have a vaginal delivery despite an abnormal first two stages of labor, an abnormal labor curve, an abnormal fetal descent pattern, an unproven pelvis and numerous risk factors for a potential shoulder dystocia
- He failed to carry out a Caesarean section in a timely manner, which would have prevented the birth injury
At this point, the North Carolina Medical Board has ordered the doctor to stop delivering babies while it investigates the three infant deaths that allegedly occurred under his watch. He has agreed to this order and the investigation is ongoing.
If you believe your child was injured during the birthing process as a result of a physician’s negligence, contact the North Carolina medical malpractice attorneys at Lanier Law Group to learn more about your legal options.