$9.6 Million Awarded to Boy in New Jersey Birth Injury Lawsuit

On October 11, 2013, a Middlesex County jury awarded $9.6 million to a boy who is blind, confined to a wheel chair and unable to speak due to injuries sustained at birth. The boy was born in 2002 with cerebral palsy and fluid in his lungs at Hackensack University Medical Center. It was alleged in the lawsuit that the hospital and doctors failed to detect insufficient oxygen to the fetus, placental insufficiency, and other signs of fetal distress. Ultimately, the jury assigned 35 percent of the damages to the mother for her pre-existing conditions, reducing the final award by $3.36 million.