McArthur Law Firm has won a $25 million medical malpractice suit on behalf of our clients, Shanta M. Hinnant and Adrian Dean for the death of their unborn daughter. Working in collaboration with Dellacona Law Firm, senior partner Kathy McArthur, partner Caleb Walker, and associate Quintesha Reynolds were able to show Bibb County State Court jurors that the on-call physician at HCA Coliseum Medical Center broke from standard medical procedure, resulting in a failure to diagnose Hinnant with preeclampsia, and an ultimate loss of her unborn child Halei M. Dean.
Preeclampsia is a type of hypertension – in pregnant women, this bleeding can result in additional side effects, including bleeding and early induced labor. Two days after the treating physician sent Hinnant home, Hinnant was taken to Houston Medical Center via ambulance due to bleeding. By the time the ambulance reached the hospital, Halei was determined to be dead, as no heartbeat could be found.
The Strategy
McArthur Law Firm employed a number of strategies to help the jury understand Hinnant’s predicament.
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- Using Halei’s first name. The first step in helping the jury understand the full impact of Halei’s death was to consistently refer to her by name. This helped show the jury what was lost by the death of Hinnant’s unborn daughter: a full person, and an entire life.
- McArthur Law Firm used imagery like a large red rotary phone to help the jury understand the lack of communication between staff members at HCA Coliseum Medical Center.
Malpractice Admitted
This trial was different than most, as it involved not just one physician at fault, but two: the on-call physician and Hinnant’s treating obstetrician. During the trial, neither the obstetrician nor the physician argued that malpractice did not occur – instead, each medical professional agreed that malpractice occurred, but blamed the other.
Ultimately, the jury apportioned fault as follows:
- 5% to the on-call physician
- 5 to the obstetrician
- 5% to Coliseum Medical Center for failure to send hospital records to the obstetrician
The $25 million Verdict
After 8 days, the jury returned a favorable $25 million verdict. This verdict included the following damages:
- $4 million for Halei’s economic potential
- $15 million for the value of the intangible part of Halei’s life
The rest of the verdict went towards other fees and expenses. The case has been under consideration for a long time, being first filed in 2019.
Hire an Attorney for Medical Malpractice in Fulton County, Georgia
Medical Malpractice cases, especially those involving birth injuries, are extremely painful. However, when you are the subject of medical malpractice, you have the right to compensation and justice whenever possible.
McArthur Law Firm serves Fulton County, Bibb County and Fulton County, as well as Clayton County, Cherokee County, Forsyth County, and other counties in Georgia. For more information about the McArthur Law Firm or to set up a free consultation to learn what we may be able to do to help you with your personal injury case, give us a call at one of our offices in Georgia or fill out our online contact form.
- Atlanta Office: 404-565-1621
- Macon Office: 478-238-6600
- Warner Robins: 478-551-9901
