It appears that the little boy who suffered a severe brain injury during his birth at a Florida hospital in 1997 will finally see the $30 million awarded to him by a Florida jury.
Aaron Edwards was born at a Lee Memorial Health System hospital. In 2007, a jury found that negligent actions by nurses caused Edwards a crippling brain injury and that they failed to follow standard hospital rules and regulations.
According to Roden, when her son was born, Lee Memorial was a private institution. However, by the time the lawsuit was over, Lee Memorial had been bought out by the state of Florida.
As a government hospital, Lee Memorial gained sovereign immunity, which prevents individuals from collecting judgments of more than $200,000 from government agencies without the state legislature passing a bill to allow it.
A few weeks ago, the Florida legislature finally heard arguments from Aaron’s mother and a representative of Lee Memorial Hospital. The bill passed the committee, with only one member voting no.
We are glad to see the Florida legislature uphold the judgment of the court. Edwards’ mother will likely appreciate the ability to pay for the care of her son.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs, LLP – birth trauma attorneys