The child will never “hug his mother with both arms, hold his own child with both arms, or simply clap his hands,” his lawyer said in a statement
NEED TO KNOW
- A North Carolina jury awarded $18.2 million to a mother and son for injuries allegedly caused during the boy’s birth
- Naqah Lake suffers from a lifelong disability due to nerve damage caused by a doctor’s alleged improper delivery maneuver
- The 6-year-old has permanent nerve damage in his shoulder and needs assistance with things like using the bathroom and getting dressed
North Carolina jurors have agreed to award millions of dollars to a mother and son after deciding that one doctor’s alleged negligence during labor resulted in permanent nerve injuries and a lifelong disability to the young boy.
Laurel Browne and her son, Naqah Lake, filed a lawsuit against WakeMed and four members of its medical staff in 2022. Browne and Naqah, now 6, alleged the group failed to properly treat Browne during her pregnancy and delivery at the health provider’s Raleigh hospital in September 2019, resulting in permanent nerve damage and disfigurement in Naqah’s left arm.
In July of this year, a five-week trial concluded, with a jury awarding Browne and Naqah $18.2 million, per court records viewed by PEOPLE. That sum will likely be reduced significantly by a judge, however, the North Carolina newspaper The News & Observer reported…