Shamond Butler lives with severe disabilities due to injuries he suffered at birth in 2003. Now 20 years old, a Cook County, Illinois, jury just awarded him $55.5 million in damages. Butler requires 24-hour care and has significant cognitive impairments. His family is relieved to have the funds to ensure he has the necessary care for the rest of his life.
Negligent Birth Injuries
Birth injuries can cause impairments ranging from mild to severe and that are temporary or permanent. Shannette Slater, pregnant with Butler, was admitted to the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago (UIC) on April 12, 2003. She waited in the hospital for six hours before being admitted.
Once admitted, Slater was seen by a fellow-in-training and a resident-in-training, Drs. Monique Schoenhage and Michelle Kominiarek. They administered Pitocin, a drug used to stimulate contractions. Pitocin reduced the oxygen supply to the fetus, causing tachycardia, which is an elevated heart rate.
Slater delivered Butler the next morning via Cesarean section. Butler was intubated and spent over a week on life support in newborn intensive care after suffering brain damage.
Slater should have been treated as a high-risk pregnancy. She had gestational diabetes and asthma. The amount of Pitocin used was inappropriate and led to the complications that caused Butler’s disabilities. According to expert testimony, the doctors should have stopped using Pitocin and treated Slater using antibiotics.
Today, Butler has the cognitive abilities of a toddler and requires care around the clock. He will need care and supervision for the rest of his life.
Lawsuit and Jury Award
Butler’s family and their lawyers tried to secure a settlement from the UIC hospital for nearly twenty years. The hospital, which the lawyers claimed failed to appropriately train the attending physicians to handle the situation, refused to admit any responsibility or offer any settlement amount.
A trial finally took place over the course of three weeks in 2023. A jury decided in favor of Butler and his family, finding the hospital liable and awarding them $55.5 million. In spite of the result, the hospital still refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing in the matter.
Butler’s family was happy with the result, saying the money would go toward his medical expenses and other needs. The money is supposed to compensate him for disfigurement, loss of a normal life, emotional distress, loss of earning potential, and care costs.
Cases like these illustrate how important it is to advocate for victims of birth injuries and medical negligence. It took 20 years for Butler to get justice for the needless harm he suffered and will live with for the rest of his life. If you had a child born with birth injuries and suspect negligence, a birth injury lawyer can help you seek compensation.
