The husband of a woman who bled to death after delivering their baby has settled a lawsuit against the hospital where she gave birth for $550,000, her attorneys report.
Francis “Brink” Hinson, formerly with the Finkel Law Firm and now with H.H.P Law Group in Columbia, and Olin “Lin” McDougall of the McDougall Law Firm in Columbia, said that the 32-year-old woman, whose name was withheld, was admitted to Lexington Medical Center in August 2017. She delivered a baby at 10 p.m. but shortly after, she began hemorrhaging. Her pulse soared to 180 beats per minute and her blood pressure plummeted to 74/44. She died four hours later.
Hinson
The husband contended that while the attending doctors and nurses took the necessary steps to stop the bleeding, they waited too long to give his wife a transfusion to replace the blood she lost.
“We aren’t saying it had to be given as soon as the post-partum bleeding was apparent, but 90 minutes was an unacceptable delay,” Hinson said. “We thought the doctors and nurses did so many things right, but they did one crucial thing wrong, and in medicine, it doesn’t matter how many things you get correct if just one important aspect of treatment is omitted. It all came down to, if you are losing this much blood, the one thing you can’t forget is to replace it. You have to prepare for the worst, and the worst occurred.”
Hinson called the death a tragedy that could have been avoided.
“What should have been one of the happiest days in my client’s life is the saddest that he will likely ever have,” Hinson said. “I can’t imagine coming home from the hospital [alone] with a two-day-old baby and a four-year-old child–how in the world do you face the next day? It’s just mind blowing. He did a truly impressive job in all respects and has had the benefit of a supportive family all the way around, from his in-laws to his own family.”
McDougall
Kay Crowe of Barnes, Alford, Stork & Johnson in Columbia represented the hospital. She could not be reached for comment, but Hinson said the hospital contended that the blood was timely delivered and that the actions of the doctors and nurses were within the standard of care.
Earl Ellis of Columbia mediated the settlement, which was agreed to in September.
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SETTLEMENT REPORT — MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Amount: $550,000
Injuries alleged: Death
Case name: Withheld
Court: Lexington County Circuit Court
Mediator: Earl Ellis of Columbia
Date of settlement: September 2020
Most helpful experts: Dr. Glenn Werner of Beaufort (obstetrics)
Attorneys for plaintiff: Francis “Brink” Hinson, formerly of the Finkel Law Firm, now of HHP Law Group in Columbia, and Olin “Lin” McDougall of the McDougall Law Firm in Columbia
Attorney for defendant: Kay Crowe of Barnes, Alford, Stork & Johnson in Columbia