Directed Verdict In Favor of OBGYN

On November 4, 2019, Tommie Williams and Tommie Williams, Jr., obtained a Directed Verdict in favor of an Obstetrician and an Obstetrical Clinic in a trial held in Starkville, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. The Plaintiff alleged the Defendants were negligent in failing to timely deliver an infant resulting in Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy and death.

The case advanced to trial on Monday, November 28, 2019. The Plaintiff alleged that the Obstetrician was negligent for failing to timely deliver the infant based on the fetal heart rate monitor tracing. The Plaintiff further claimed that the delay in delivery resulted in a hypoxic ischemic injury and ultimately, death. The Plaintiff claimed economic damages in an amount that exceeded $500,000.00. The Plaintiff claimed additional non-economic damages to be determined by the jury. The Plaintiff called expert witnesses in the medical fields of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Pediatric Neurology and Pediatric Neuroradiology.

At the conclusion of the Plaintiff’s case-in-chief, the Trial Judge entered a Final Judgment on Directed Verdict in favor of the Obstetrician and the Clinic. The Court found that the Plaintiff failed to offer credible proof that the infant’s hypoxic ischemic injury and death was causally connected to any alleged breach of the standard of care. Accordingly, the Trial Court entered a Final Judgment of Dismissal on Directed Verdict and dismissed the case in its entirety.