$7.75 Million for Failure to Properly Treat Infant’s Elevated Bilirubin
The family of a baby boy, who was not properly treated for elevated bilirubin, settled a lawsuit against Elmhurst Hospital and the doctors who treated the baby for $7.75 million. The family was represented by Corboy & Demetrio. The baby was born at Elmhurst Hospital after a normal delivery. He was healthy and alert. Two days later, the nursery nurse noted that he was slightly jaundiced and a doctor wrote in her notes that he had mild facial jaundice. While at home, he breast-fed and slept well. However, two days later he wasn’t eating well and was restless and cried more. After discussing the situation with the pediatrician’s office twice, the mother and father took the baby to the emergency room. The baby had very high and dangerous levels of bilirubin and was transferred to another hospital for a blood transfusion. As a result of the high levels, he suffers from developmental delays, hearing loss and spastic quadriplegia.