$1.4 Million Jury Verdict in Case Involving Doctor Who Ignored Pregnant Woman’s Stroke

During her last prenatal visit to her obstetrician, the woman, nine months pregnant, showed classic signs of a dangerous condition, preeclampsia. Staff documented that she had high blood pressure, large weight gain, and protein in her urine.

After the woman entered the hospital in labor, a resident doctor and several nurses noted she had massive swelling in her legs and her blood pressure was twice as high as during her pregnancy. These were obvious signs of preeclampsia, yet they were ignored. Following delivery, the doctor sent her to the recovery room with no warning to the nurses to watch her. A few hours later she was found to have suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Blume Donnelly principal Carol Forte obtained a jury verdict, plus interest, for a total of $1,422,000.