DETROIT –
A Michigan family won a $130,571,897 settlement on behalf of a child who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Recommended Videos
It is one of the largest medical malpractice settlements in Michigan history.
On Tuesday following a three-week medical malpractice case in Oakland County Circuit Court, the jury found that two nuclear medicine technicians from William Beaumont Hospital caused severe and permanent brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy.
In 2006, when Vihn Tran was two months old, he suffered a breathing-hold spell in connection with multiple attempts to start an IV. The technicians delayed calling a code blue and failed to give chest compressions as required by the standard of care.
Consequently, Tran suffered a severe and prolonged hypoxic-ischemic insult resulting in massive brain damage.
“Nothing will ease the suffering of this child, but at least this settlement will alleviate some of the financial burden from his caretakers,” says Brian McKeen, managing partner of McKeen and Associates and one of the attorneys representing the family. “I’m grateful for the jurors service and gratified they agreed that this was a preventable tragedy.”
Beaumont Hospital released the following statement in response:
We are committed to providing extraordinary care, every day. We took this case before a jury because we believe the care we delivered was appropriate. Even though the dollar amount of the verdict will be substantially reduced due to applicable law, we stand by the care we provided and are appealing.