A Cook County jury has awarded Shamond Butler, a 20-year-old severely brain-damaged individual, $55.5 million, marking one of the largest birth trauma verdicts in Chicago's history. The verdict stemmed from medical negligence during Butler's birth at the University of Illinois Hospital.
As stated in the Chicago Sun-Times report, Butler's lawyer argued that physicians Monique Schoenhage and Michelle Kominiarek, both trainees at the time, inadequately managed the high-risk pregnancy of Butler's mother, Shannette Slater.
In 2003, due to gestational diabetes and asthma, Slater was admitted to the University of Illinois Hospital. Her attending physician failed to see her for six to seven hours after being admitted. Neither treating physician was board-certified at that time, according to the aforementioned Chicago Sun-Times report.
Slater was administered Pitocin, a contraction-inducing drug which deprived oxygen supply to the baby before birth, leading to fetal tachycardia. The lawsuit posits that administering antibiotics and cessation of Pitocin were warranted, and the hospital failed in equipping the attending physicians with necessary training and resources, as reported by Chicago Business.
Eight days of life support followed the eventual emergency C-section that Butler went through. Today, his cognitive abilities are akin to a two-year-old, and he will require constant care for the rest of his life. The awarded damages are intended to cover the costs of Butler's medical and general needs.
According to Chicago Business, the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System neither offered a settlement nor accepted responsibility for the neglect that ultimately resulted in Butler's condition. Despite a three-week trial culminating in a verdict favoring Butler, justice took nearly two decades to be served.
The University of Illinois Chicago expressed sympathy for the affected family in their statement following the verdict, while highlighting their ongoing commitment to delivering quality care.
