Long Island Parents Falsely Accused Of Child Abuse, Claims Lawsuit
A Long Island family is living every parent’s worst nightmare. A 35-year-old mother and her 37-year-old husband are doting parents who recently welcomed a newborn into their family.
Just three months after bringing their little girl home from the hospital, the grieving parents have buried her and then faced false allegations of child abuse. According to the parents, the mother had breastfed their daughter and put her down for a nap. About an hour later, the father checked on her and found the baby choking on her own vomit. A guest of the family, who is an EMT, revived the child and the parents called 911.
Slew of deadly medical errors alleged
When EMTs from the Exchange Ambulances of the Islips arrived at the family home, they allegedly failed to give the infant oxygen, intubate her, or even take basic precautions to protect her from freezing temperatures as they carried her to the ambulance, which was parked four doors down from the family home. These allegations appear in a medical malpractice lawsuit that the parents recently filed.
The claims are just the beginning of a tragic string of events that allegedly resulted in the little girl’s death. The parents contend that the EMTs were negligent in failing to take their daughter to a hospital with a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Instead, she was brought to an ER, where a doctor allegedly administered a “cornucopia of drugs” to the 12-pound infant. These reportedly included Propofol, which is a potent and highly dangerous sedative. It gained notoriety after being linked to Michael Jackson’s death.
According to the lawsuit, the drugs caused the infant’s blood pressure to crash, causing oxygen deprivation to her brain for at least an hour. Then, a healthcare provider allegedly failed to properly insert an IV line for the administration of epinephrine to raise the child’s blood pressure.
Parents accused of child abuse
After the disastrous events at the first hospital, the child was taken to a medical center in Queens. At Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Dr. Jamie Hoffman-Rosenfeld took over the child’s medical care. The lawsuit states that she introduced herself to the parents by referring to herself as Dr. House, a brilliant physician from a popular TV show. Dr. Hoffman-Rosenfeld concluded that the baby had shaken baby syndrome and was the victim of child abuse.
The parents’ lawsuit claims that the doctor then led “a bogus, illegitimate, and wholly contrived witch hunt falsely accusing both of harming their child and causing the injury which ultimately led to her death.” The lawsuit went on to assert that the baby did not sustain the type of brain damage that would “even closely resemble what is seen in shaken baby syndrome.”
As their daughter was dying in the hospital, the doctor collaborated with social workers to secure orders of protection that barred the grief-stricken parents from being near their daughter during her final hours. The social workers also took the parents’ two young sons into protective custody.
Later, an investigation and two autopsies concluded that the child had not suffered any physical abuse. Although the parents were finally cleared of charges in January 2015, they were subjected to a prolonged custody case initiated by the social workers that alleged they were abusive parents. Now, they are demanding that the doctor and other defendants be held responsible for the family’s tragic loss.
Justice for bereaved parents
Patients have a right to receive appropriate medical care from well-qualified providers. If you or a loved one has suffered the effects of hospital malpractice or doctor negligence, contact The Sanders Firm to find out whether you may be able to secure compensation.
Call our New York medical malpractice law firm today at 1.800.FAIR.PLAY. Resources
- New York Post, Hospitals killed our baby – then tried to blame us, http://nypost.com/2016/01/17/hospitals-killed-our-baby-and-then-tried-to-blame-us-lawsuit/
- Daily Mail, Parents accused of shaking their baby to death by ‘medic who branded herself TV’s Dr House’ clear their name and now file lawsuit against hospital for ‘series of fatal blunders,’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3403751/Parents-accused-child-abuse-witch-hunt-silence-family-baby-following-series-medical-errors-New-York-hospital-file-lawsuit.html
