A Richland County jury has awarded $1.4 million in damages to the family of a baby girl who suffered complications after being born prematurely at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands.
The jury deliberated for just 35 minutes after a week-long trial.
The central issue in the case was whether hospital nurses properly cared for the baby while she wore a facial mask that supplied oxygen and helped keep her airways open. The device, designed to support premature babies with underdeveloped lungs, requires close monitoring to avoid damage to the delicate skin on the baby’s face. Evidence presented during the trial suggested that improper monitoring led to permanent damage to the baby’s nose and surrounding areas.
Brendan Green, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, explained: “This baby needed the device to help her lungs function, but anything touching a baby’s skin can cause harm if not carefully monitored.”
The lawsuit was filed by the baby’s parents, Earl Sale, a South Carolina National Guard avionics engineer, and Mary Sale, an electrical engineer with Dominion Energy. Both parents testified during the trial. A nurse-educator, who trains hospital staff on how to properly use devices that deliver oxygen to newborns, also testified for the plaintiffs.
Before the trial, Prisma Health offered $25,000 to settle the case, but the Sales chose to proceed to court.
The baby has already undergone reconstructive surgery and may need more procedures in the future, according to her attorneys. “This was a permanent injury, and she required surgery,” said Grace Babcock, co-counsel for the Sales.
Prisma Health maintained that its care was appropriate and followed standard hospital procedures, arguing it did not breach its duty of care.
Prisma did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the two main lawyers involved in the case, David Holler and Alex Atkinson.
Green, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said the family filed the lawsuit to prevent similar incidents from affecting other children. Judge Jocelyn Newman presided over the trial.
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