$1.1 Million Awarded to Birth Injury Victim

By Daniel Hawn

Published on September 06, 2006

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Madelyn Instone, who was born in June 1998 at Wood County Women’s Care of Bowling Green. The suit named the late Dr. Raymond Hoag, his estate, and his obstetrics practice as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, two midwives at Hoag's practice were responsible for delivering Madelyn. During the birthing, they encountered complications and called for Hoag to assist.

Madeline exhibited a condition called shoulder dystocia, which occurs when the shoulders interfere with a normal delivery. Madelyne’s attorney said that Hoag did not follow the proper steps for dealing with the condition. The suit claimed that Hoag injured nerves in Madelyn’s right arm during the delivery.

The jury found in favor of Madeline on the fifth day of the trial.

Although Madelyn’s parents initially filed the suit in 2002, it was dismissed to permit more time for the extent of Madelyn’s injury to become apparent. The case was refiled in 2004, and the parents asked that any award money be given to their daughter, not to them.

In July 2002, Hoag committed suicide. Judge Robert Pollex, who presided over the recent trial, said he was unaware of a connection between the lawsuit and Hoag’s suicide.

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