$2.15 Million Award for Failure to Test Detect Signs of Fetal Distress

In 1986, the mother went into labor and sought medical treatment at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Two medical residents who treated her during the eight hours prior to the birth of her son did not adequately test the status of the baby and failed to detect signs of fetal distress. The now 13-year-old child was born with brain damage and suffers from cerebral palsy.

Blood tests showed a rising level of bilirubin in an infant’s brain. Three days after he was discharged from the hospital, his parents noticed that he was lethargic and took him to a nearby pediatrician who sent them to St. Peter’s Medical Center in New Brunswick. By that time, the bilirubin level was toxic and had caused brain damage.