The nerve that runs through a person’s pelvic region is called the pudendal nerve. Pudendal neuralgia is an uncommon condition in which that nerve is damaged, which can cause permanent and significant pain that area of the body, including the genitals. A mother claimed that she suffered damage to this nerve due to birth injuries during the nightmare delivery of her fourth child. It might not surprise Delaware readers that she filed a medical malpractice suit against the birthing center.
When she found out she was pregnant, she shopped around for a birthing center that would provide her with numerous options regarding the delivery. The advertisements and doctor of the one she chose assured her that she would be able to walk around during labor, wear her own clothes instead of a hospital gown and give birth in whatever position would make her most comfortable. However, her experience could not have been more diametrically opposed to the assurances of the doctor and the promotional materials of the facility.
Nurses refused to let her out of bed, and when her water broke, she got on her hands and knees because it was more comfortable. A nurse forcibly flipped her over onto her back and held her down while another nurse held her baby in her vagina for approximately six minutes. When the doctor finally arrived, the baby was born in no more than one minute.
Immediately after the birth, the woman knew something was wrong and was unable to function at all for the first six months thereafter. She eventually had to move in with her mother to have help with the children because her condition is so debilitating. Fortunately, the baby did not suffer any injuries in the ordeal.
The jury took around nine hours to award her $16 million in damages for the birth injuries she suffered. Like many other people, including many here in Delaware, the money was only part of the reasons why she filed the lawsuit. Her main goal was to expose the birthing center and other medical facilities that do not honor their agreements, fail to treat patients with the respect they deserve and violate the basic tenet of medicine to do no harm.
Source: pjmedia.com, “Alabama Woman Awarded $16 Million After Birthing Center Held Baby Inside Her“, Paula Bolyard, Aug. 20, 2016
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