- Location: Cuyahoga County
- Type of Case: Birth Injury / Medical Malpractice
- Settlement Amount: $3,000,000
Case Overview & Firm Perspective
Skolnick Weiser Law Firm secured a $3,000,000 settlement on behalf of a child and family whose lives were permanently altered by preventable medical negligence during labor and delivery. The case involved a catastrophic birth injury that resulted in severe cerebral palsy and profound neurological impairment. From the firm’s perspective, this matter highlights how seemingly brief failures in communication and monitoring during childbirth can have irreversible, lifelong consequences. Skolnick Weiser Law Firm pursued this case to ensure accountability and to secure financial resources necessary to support the child’s extensive, lifelong care needs.
Geography & Venue Considerations
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, is a challenging venue for medical-malpractice litigation, particularly in birth-injury cases where hospitals and healthcare providers often dispute liability and causation. While Ohio does see significant malpractice claims, many birth-injury and cerebral palsy cases resolve for amounts well below seven figures—especially when the alleged negligence involves delays rather than overt surgical errors. Statewide, settlements in similar cases frequently fall in the mid-six-figure to low-seven-figure range. Against that backdrop, the $3,000,000 settlement achieved by Skolnick Weiser Law Firm stands above typical county and state outcomes, reflecting both the severity of the injuries and the strength of the liability evidence.
Injuries Sustained
As a result of oxygen deprivation during labor, the newborn suffered hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a serious and permanent brain injury. The child was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy with spastic quadriplegia, accompanied by profound cognitive impairment and loss of vision. These conditions are permanent and life-altering, affecting nearly every aspect of the child’s development, mobility, communication, and independence. The injuries will impact the child not only throughout childhood, but for the entirety of their life.
Treatment, Care, and Lifetime Expenses
The child’s injuries require extensive and ongoing medical treatment and supportive care. This includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and feeding therapy, specialized neurological care, assistive medical equipment, mobility devices, and vision-related services. Long-term planning also involves personal-care assistance, special-education services, and modifications to the home environment. Skolnick Weiser Law Firm emphasized that the true cost of this injury extends far beyond initial hospitalization, encompassing decades of medical care, therapy, and support necessary to maximize quality of life and functionality.
Cause of Injury & Medical Fault
The evidence established that nursing staff failed to timely report a developing maternal fever to the attending obstetrician during labor. Had the physicians been properly informed, a Cesarean section would have been performed approximately 55 minutes earlier. This delay allowed fetal distress to progress and deprived the baby of adequate oxygen, directly resulting in permanent brain injury. Skolnick Weiser Law Firm demonstrated that this breakdown in communication violated accepted standards of obstetrical and nursing care and that timely intervention would have prevented the child’s injuries.
Legal Process & Timeline
Following a thorough investigation and expert medical review, Skolnick Weiser Law Firm filed a medical-malpractice lawsuit against the responsible healthcare providers. The litigation involved detailed analysis of labor and delivery records, nursing documentation, and expert testimony addressing standard of care, causation, and damages. By clearly establishing how a relatively brief delay had catastrophic consequences, the firm positioned the case for resolution. Rather than proceed to trial, the defendants agreed to a substantial settlement, providing financial security for the child and family without prolonged litigation.
Settlement Amount & Comparative Value
The case resolved for $3,000,000, a result that exceeds many birth-injury and medical-malpractice settlements in Cuyahoga County and across Ohio. While similar cases often settle for amounts that fail to fully account for lifelong care needs, this outcome reflects a comprehensive evaluation of the child’s future medical expenses, care requirements, and loss of independence.
The hidden value in this result lies in Skolnick Weiser Law Firm’s ability to translate a delay of less than one hour into a compelling demonstration of permanent harm. By connecting that critical lapse in care to decades of future medical and personal needs, the firm secured compensation that more accurately reflects the true human and economic cost of preventable medical negligence.