Record $229M Malpractice Verdict Against Johns Hopkins Bayview

BALTIMORE, MD — A Prince George's county woman whose baby suffered permanent brain damage at birth has won a $229.6 million malpractice judgment against Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. A Baltimore jury on July 1 awarded Erica Byrom and her daughter, Zubida, what her attorneys said is the largest medical malpractice verdict ever awarded in the United States, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Five years ago, Byrom was erroneously told by doctors that she had dangerously high blood pressure from preeclampsia and that her baby would die or suffer brain damage. Byrom decided not have a cesarean section, and Zubida suffered brain injuries during delivery from a lack of oxygen.

State law caps malpractice verdicts, so Byrom will receive about $200 million, said Mary Koch, her attorney. “We are grateful to the jury for their careful consideration,” Koch told The Sun. “The verdict of the jury insures that Zubida will receive the care and treatment she needs and deserves for the rest of her life."

The girl has cerebral palsy and requires round-the-clock care, her family said.

Read the full story on The Baltimore Sun website.