Stephanie and Matthew Lewis v. Dr. Tony B. Sarin

The parents of Katelyn Lewis sued Dr. Tony B. Sarin on a medical negligence (medical malpractice) theory claiming that Dr. Sarin acted below the standard of care in providing care and treatment to Katelyn's mother during her pregnancy and, as a direct result of the doctor's negligence, Katelyn suffered brain damage that will make her dependent upon others for the rest of her life. Katelyn, now age 11, cannot walk or talk, can barely lift her head and has to be fed through a tube. Katelyn's mother, Stephanie, had elevated blood pressure on December 23, 2006, two days before Kately's birth, but was not hospitalized by Dr. Sarin. Plaintiffs claimed that Stephanie should have been hospitalized so that her blood pressure could have been monitored and her urine should have been checked for the presence of protein to check for eclampsia. Instead, Dr. Sarin sent her home with instructions to come back in a week. Two days later, Stephanie woke up with a severe headache and blurred visions, symptoms of eclampsia. Before she could get to a hospital, she suffered a seizure that cut off oxygen to Katelyn with resulting brain damage. Stephanie claimed that had she received proper treatment, she could have been given magnesium sulfate, which is effective in preventing seizures in pregnant women suffering from eclampsia.

The defenses asserted by Dr. Sarin are not available.

The jury awarded $6 million to Katelyn, including $5 million for the present value of future health care needs. Stephanie and Matthew Lewis were awarded about $700,000 for past medical expenses, plus $1 million each for emotional distress.

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