A St. Louis County jury has awarded a family a staggering $48.1 million in a medical malpractice case involving Mercy Hospital, Mercy Clinic, and Dr. Daniel McNeive, as reported by FOX2now. The case stemmed from a baby delivery that tragically left the newborn with permanent brain damage. According to documents from the court case, the healthcare providers were found to be negligent after the baby’s mother was instructed to continue pushing for over 12 hours despite clear signs of fetal distress.
The hefty sum, awarded on March 25, includes $28.1 million in compensatory damages for the child’s ongoing medical needs, and an additional $20 million in punitive damages. This is meant to not only support the Anyan family but to also serve as a deterrent against future negligence. KSDK quoted attorney Amy Gunn stating, “With their punitive award of $20 Million, the jury sent a strong message to Mercy Clinic and their doctor: Stop these dangerous labor and delivery practices so other families don’t suffer the same result at Mercy Hospital.”
Details of the harrowing incident reveal that the newborn boy experienced severe seizures less than a day after being born and had to spend 46 days in the NICU. The mother, Sarah Anyan, was a cardiac nurse at Mercy Hospital, and since the incident, has had to leave her role to become a full-time caretaker for her son, who now lives with cerebral palsy. The father, Blake Anyan, was also once a respiratory therapist with Mercy. The family was represented by teams from the Simon Law Firm and Gunn | Slater, who labored to ensure that justice was served in this case. Simon Law Attorney Liz Lenivy was quoted by FOX2now expressing her satisfaction with the outcome, “After working with this family for four years, I’m happy justice was served in this case.”…