Dan Ryan obtained a defense verdict for an OB/GYN in Philadelphia County. The Plaintiff, who was pregnant with her first child, was diagnosed with fibroids. The fibroids did not complicate the pregnancy. After several hours of labor, the fetal heart rate decelerated and would not return to baseline. An emergency c-section was ordered. The Plaintiff and her husband initially refused the recommendation, but finally agreed twenty-five minutes later. A healthy baby was delivered via c-section, but because of the fibroids, uncontrollable bleeding was encountered. An emergency hysterectomy was performed. The defense maintained that the c-section was necessary to save the baby’s life and the hysterectomy was necessary to save the Plaintiff’s life. After the three week trial and a two hour deliberation, the jury agreed, and found that Mr. Ryan’s client was not negligent.
