Family Wins Multi-Million Dollar Verdict In Lawsuit Against Hospital

By Daniel Hawn

Published on October 27, 2005

The parents of three-year-old Princess Garcia said they are happy that now they will be able to afford the surgeries their daughter will need to help with her condition.

The case was against Rio Grande Regional Hospital, where on August 15, 2002, Aurora Garcia was taken to have her fourth child delivered. The baby girl, who, according to sonograms, seemed healthy and had exhibited movement, was delivered having an injured spine. Princess was paralyzed below the chest and was unable to breathe without the help of a respirator.

According to the Garcia family attorney, Princess' injuries occurred because the delivery nurses employed "fundal pressure" to aid in the baby's delivery after she became stuck in the birth canal. This technique, which involves applying pressure to the mother's stomach to push the baby through the uterus, is banned in many hospitals because it can harm the baby.

In court, the nurses claimed that they did not utilize this method.

The hospital's attorney advanced the argument that a congenital condition or treatment provided to the baby after she left the hospital may have been led to her injuries.

In a written statement, the CEO of Rio Grande Regional, Stephen K. Jones, said that the facility is planning to appeal the decision.

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