Obstetrician on Trial in Birth Injury Case

By Robert Carrier

Published on October 04, 2007

Dr. Tina Gingrich, from Anderson Hospital, was the obstetrician for Judy Thiel in August, 1998 when Judy's daughter Madelyn was born. Madelyn suffers from Erb's palsy, and Judy claims it is the result of Dr. Tina Gingrich's medical negligence according to a suit she filed in Febuary of 2004. Dr. Gingrich asserts that she did not deviate from an accepted standard of care in delivering Madelyn Thiel.

Judy Theil alleges that Dr. Gingrich failed to recommend a caesarian section delivery even after Judy had been in the second stage of labor for over three hours. Additionally, Judy is accusing Dr. Gingrich of failing to halt the administration of Pitocin during labor when there was evidence of an arrest of descent rate caused by shoulder dystocia, failed to order or perform a test to screen for gestational diabetes, and failed to take note or consider the measurements of Theil's birth canal in assessing the likelihood of shoulder dystocia.

Theil further alleges that Dr. Gingrich failed to properly assist the delivery of her daughter Madelyn for a three-hour period during labor, and improperly and negligently applied traction to the head, neck and shoulders of Madelyn during the delivery process.

Dr. Gingrich is expected to assert that she did not act negligently in her care of Judy Theil and her daughter.

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