In Infant v. Pediatric Group (Northern California), Doris Cheng and Jeffrey A. Clause obtained a $12,000,000 settlement for a three-year-old boy who sustained catastrophic brain damage during labor and delivery. The child’s mother was admitted for induction at 41 weeks. For nearly a full day, fetal monitor tracings revealed non-reassuring patterns, yet the defendant obstetrician failed to intervene or proceed to C-section. After midnight, vacuum extraction was attempted, and the baby was delivered cyanotic with critically low Apgar scores. Once admitted to the NICU, he developed seizures and MRI studies confirmed hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The defendants attributed the child’s disability to placental insufficiency and infection. The case resolved with both immediate cash and structured payments to fund a special needs trust.
