Wrongful Life Lawsuit Awards Plaintiff $10M After Seattle Nurse Gives Flu Shot Instead of Birth Control
According to reporting by the Seattle Times, a federal judge has awarded just over $10 million in a wrongful life lawsuit brought against the government for the negligence of a nurse at a federally funded health care clinic. The suit was brought because of an unwanted pregnancy caused by the nurse’s negligence when she administered a flu shot instead of the quarterly birth control injection. The negligent action ended in the birth of a severely disabled child and the birth injury award is intended to pay for the future care of the child, now eight years old.
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Can a Nurse be Held Responsible for Birth Injuries?
According to the birthinjuryguide.org, between 6 and 8 per 1,000 babies born each year endure a birth injury in the United States and the majority of these injuries are preventable with proper medical care.
A birth injury is any form of injury endured by an infant during pregnancy or delivery. There are many ways that a birth injury can happen. Common causes of birth injuries include the use of prescription or illegal drugs during pregnancy, aggressive birthing tactics, delayed birth, or oxygen deprivation due to a failure to recognize signs of fetal distress during delivery. When a medical professional fails to act within generally accepted guidelines for a medical professional under similar circumstances, they may have acted negligently. If an injury happens as a result of negligence, a medical malpractice claim may be an appropriate way to recover damages. Medical professionals include doctors, pharmacists and nurses.