Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman Secures Record $229M Jury Award for Birth Injury Client
Attorneys Keith Forman, Mary Koch, and Sarah Smith of Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC recently made history with a record-setting jury award for their birth injury client. A Baltimore jury awarded our client $229.6 million for the harm caused by a permanent brain injury suffered by her infant daughter at birth. Under Maryland law, the verdict will likely be reduced to approximately $205 million, which will stand as the largest verdict of its kind in the United States.
Details of the Infant Brain Damage Case
On October 20, 2014, our client—Erica Byrom—was admitted to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for preeclampsia—a condition that usually occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy and is characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.
Ms. Byrom’s doctors informed her that her condition would cause her unborn daughter to suffer a brain injury or death. The doctors also advised Ms. Byrom that she could terminate the pregnancy, which would have been a violation of Maryland law and John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center policy at that stage of the pregnancy.
The safest course of action for Ms. Bryom and her child was delivery by cesarean section. However, on October, 23 2014—three days after she was admitted—Ms. Byrom’s doctors informed her that her condition deteriorated and advised a medically-induced labor without a C-section and continuous fetal monitoring.
This information would later be revealed as a medical misdiagnosis. Ms. Byrom was in labor for roughly 22 hours, during which her child sustained an ischemic brain injury due to hypoxia. As a result of the medical provider’s mistakes, Ms. Bryom’s daughter was born with cerebral palsy, an incurable brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation. She now requires constant care and attention due to the complication. Further details of the case are being kept private out of respect for the family and due to state laws.
News Coverage
The record case of a $229 million verdict garnered the attention of the nation’s media. For more information about this ongoing story and record medical malpractice jury verdict, read full articles from The Baltimore Sun, The National Law Journal, The Seattle Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
To learn more about Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman and our birth injury representation on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, call (410) 567-0800. We travel across the country to work with clients in need. See what we can do for you and your child by contacting usnow.
