Whenever there is a threat to the safety and survival of a newborn , the hospital must do everything within its capabilities to eliminate that threat.
A hospital has no excuse when a newborn develops kernicterus. In 2001 and 2004, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals issued specific alerts to hospitals all across America warning that kernicterus was threatening healthy newborns. Many hospitals chose to ignore the warnings. In these Sentinel Event Alerts, the Joint Commission recommended that hospitals develop policies and procedures that would allow nurses to measure the bilirubin levels on all babies before discharge, especially those who were jaundiced, plot the results on a graph and report the results to the pediatrician so that babies at risk for excessive bilirubin levels and kernicterus could be treated and sent home safely. Many hospitals chose not to follow these recommendations.
No child should ever suffer because of kernicterus. No child should ever suffer brain injury, deafness, gaze disturbances, and loss of motor skills because of kernicterus. No child should die because of kernicterus. Kernicterus should never happen.
Our law firm represents families whose babies are diagnosed with kernicterus to help them with their overwhelming lifelong challenges. With the help of our world renowned experts on kernicterus, we fight to obtain justice and compensation for your child and family. We are here to help get your child the care he or she will need for the rest of his or her life.
