$6 Million Verdict Awarded in Failure to Diagnose/Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

A hospital's failure to diagnose a bacterial infection has led to the death of a six-month-old baby. 

After filing a  wrongful death lawsuit against Saint Louis Hospital, the parents of little Dylan Blankenship were awarded $6 million by a St. Louis jury.

DeWayen and Suzanne Blankenship took their son to the hospital in June 2002 when he showed signs of fever, lethargy, and trouble breathing.  Failing to diagnose the source of his condition as a bacterial infection, the hospital discharged Dylan the same he was admitted. When his condition worsened overnight, he was taken back to the hospital the next day. Unfortunately, Dylan died six days later after several treatments proved to be unsuccessful.

In the lawsuit, the Blankenships claim that if the hospital had diagnosed the infection properly, their son might still be alive today.

Although a new Missouri law caps non-economic damages at $350,000, the Blankenships filed their lawsuit in 2005 before the new law went into effect.  As such, their lawsuit is not affected by the cap.

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