Molly Craig and Bobby Hood obtained a defense verdict in Charleston County, South Carolina

IADC members Molly Craig and Bobby Hood obtained a defense verdict on August 11, 2010 in Charleston County, South Carolina before The Honorable J. Michael Baxley. The Plaintiff filed a medical malpractice against an obstetrician who delivered a baby with the assistance of a vacuum extractor device on July 16, 2002. The Plaintiff alleged the doctor was negligent in his delivery of the baby by vacuum extraction, thereby causing injury to the minor child’s brain, resulting in brain bleeds in multiple areas and severe permanent harm. The defense presented testimony that the baby was not tolerating labor in utero as evidenced by the drop in the baby’s heart rate on the fetal heart monitor. An emergent situation arose during the labor process where the baby needed to be delivered as quickly and safely as possible to prevent hypoxia. Further, the defense presented expert testimony that the cause of the child’s brain bleeds and subsequent developmental, motor and cognitive delays and deficits were not caused by the use of the vacuum but the child was born with multiple congenital abnormalities including weak, malformed blood vessels in the brain. The Plaintiff presented a life care plan totaling $6.7 million and Plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury for $15 million. Prior to trial, the hospital and the nurse staffing agency settled the case. During trial, the doctor’s practice settled. The case was tried for two and a half weeks and the jury returned a defense verdict in favor of the obstetrician.