Mother Who Sued Doctor For Child’s Brain Injuries Gets $2.6M

BRANDON, Miss. — A jury in Mississippi has returned a $2.6 million verdict to a woman who sued a doctor saying his inaction caused her child to have brain injuries.

Court records show that a Rankin County Circuit Court jury awarded the money to Ashley Koenig Williams this month, nearly nine years after her child’s birth. Williams had filed the malpractice lawsuit against Dr. William Bush, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist in Flowood, the Clarion Ledger reported.

Her attorneys said a sonogram in November 2011 showed that the baby had growth restrictions. Bush diagnosed the fetus with poor growth but did not refer Williams to a specialist, and also did not monitor the pregnancy until the baby was born in January 2012, attorney Shane Langston said.

Langston said the doctor later claimed his diagnosis wasn’t real, and it was only done to ensure that he got Medicaid payments. “The jury saw through the lie” before returning the verdict, Langston said.

“The baby suffered a brain bleed and catastrophic, permanent brain injuries including cerebral palsy. The 8 year-old child cannot walk, eat, talk,” he added. “His condition is permanent and he has a life expectancy of 25 years.”

Defense attorney Whit Johnson said there was not a significant concern requiring Bush’s intervention in the pregnancy, and argues the child’s issues were not something the doctor could have prevented. He also said in court documents that the baby suffered issues related to premature delivery.

“We are so thankful the jury believed in our case and held Dr. Bush accountable,” Williams said in a statement. “We are especially grateful to finally get some help so we can put some funds in a guardianship account for Weston’s ongoing needs.”