Kentucky Jury Awards Parents $18M for Son’s Brain Injury

A jury has awarded the parents of a child who suffered a brain injury during his birth more than $18 million in damages.

The Glasgow (Kentucky) Daily Times reported the jury rendered its decision on last Tuesday after deliberating for about an hour.

The Hamilton family sued T.J. Samson Community Hospital and the doctor who delivered Tristan Hamilton claiming medical negligence, but jurors cleared the doctor.

According to court documents, the boy was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy and other health issues after his birth in 2007.

Arguments in the case centered around whether the drug Pitocin, which is commonly used to induce labor, was used correctly. Jurors found the hospital did not provide the level of care expected and that the failure was a “substantial cause” of the boy’s injuries.