The parents of Christopher Griffin Jr. filed a lawsuit in the United States’ Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois on the 27th of February, 2012, after Christopher Jr. experienced birth injury during the delivery process. Daniele Griffin and Chrostopher S. Griffin, Sr. have named Edouard Coupet, M.D., who acted as the presiding doctor during the delivery of Christopher Jr., as well as the MetroSouth Medical Center as defendants in the lawsuit. They claim that their son suffers from neurological injury and damage to the infant’s brachial plexus nerves, resulting in a paralysis of the arm known as Erb’s palsy.

Negligence caused fetal distress

The couple claims that when Daniela Griffin was admitted to MetroSouth Medical Center in Chicago on December 30, 2009, Dr. Coupet was assigned to her case. Allegedly, when baby Christopher suffered from shoulder dystocia during the birth, Dr. Coupet negligently and carelessly applied “greater than gentle traction” to the infant’s head and neck in an effort to free the child and ultimately deliver him. They claim that this resulted in permanent, severe, and irreversible birth injury resulting from medical malpractice, and are seeking compensation from both the doctor and the hospital that would cover the child’s past and future medical costs.

The Griffins are claiming past, present, and future pain and suffering as well as disability, loss of normal life, disfigurement, and loss of income, and are seeking damages in excess of $50,000. They claim that Dr. Coupet failed to adequately use the skills expected of a reasonably well qualified obstetrician practicing in the Chicago Metropolitan Area and therefore caused irreversible damage to Christopher S. Griffin, Jr, potentially preventing him from leading a normal life as an adult.

Birth injury lawsuits claim damages

A number of parents whose children have experienced birth injuries have filed a birth injury lawsuit against negligent physicians and medical centers in the hopes of winning compensation. Physicians who have been negligent in properly delivering children may be able to be held responsible for injuries that child will have to endure for the rest of his or her life.