Boy and Family Awarded $8.4 Million for Displaced Tracheotomy

tracheotomy

The family of a young boy whose life has been potentially forever changed because of a displaced tracheotomy has been awarded $8.4 million by a Lancaster, PA jury.

The Basics of the Case

The boy, 8-months-old at the time, was already experiencing difficulties because of his premature birth in which his twin brother died.

In fact, before the experience with the displaced tracheotomy, he was expected to be on a ventilator for up to five years.

During a stay at a pediatric facility, an alert nurse discovered the boy’s tracheotomy had become displaced. The boy soon went into cardiac arrest.

The Aftermath

The family’s lawyer successfully argued that before the dislodged tracheotomy, the young boy was on track to being able to eventually move home to live with his family – even though he was already going to be facing mild neurological issues resulting from his premature birth.

Unfortunately, according to the lawyer, the boy is “now so compromised that he will never be able to come home.”

The pediatric facility’s lawyer described the boy as being a “severely compromised infant” whose needs did not change from the tracheotomy mishap.

Will $8.4 Million be Enough?

Speaking with media, the family’s lawyer said the award was “anything but a windfall. In fact, the family is not getting a dime. Whatever is collected is going to a trust for the sole benefit of the boy’s needs. By the end, there will be nothing left.”

The jury broke down the award like this:

  • $181,000 per year until 2059 for recurring medical expenses
  • $410,000 for past and future noneconomic damages
  • $60,346 for past medical expenses

The Fitzgerald Law Firm: We Fight for Your Rights

If you feel that you or your child has experienced medical malpractice, let us fight on your behalf for fair compensation.

Here at The Fitzgerald Law Firm, we’ve successfully fought for the rights of hundreds of victims of medical malpractice and have secured well over $1 billion collectively for our clients.

Call us for a free consultation at 800-323-9900.

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