Federal Government to Pay $16.5 Million to Family of Brain-Damaged Baby

By Amy Hill

Published on November 22, 2006

Izzy Peterson was born healthy on January 14, 2005, at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. But when he was mistakenly given carbon dioxide instead of oxygen only minutes after his birth, he was left with severe brain damage.

Today, Izzy is unable to breathe or eat on his own and requires 24-hour care.

Attorney Rick Fried, who represented the family, called the mistake gross negligence. Photos of the carbon dioxide tank show it has different labeling and a different type of regulator than the oxygen tank. There was no oxygen tank in the room at the time of the birth.

The hospital initially said the baby was born with brain damage, but later took full responsibility for the incident. The medical malpractice trial focused on determining the amount of damages to be awarded.

The verdict is believed to be the largest for a personal injury case involving a single person in Hawaii. The $16.5 million includes $12.4 million for Izzy’s future care and $1.5 million for future loss of income and benefits.

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