In December 2012, about a month and a half before her due date, Corradina “Corry” Baldacchino was rushed to the Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. When Baldacchino’s baby girl was born she only weighed three pounds and according to medical records she was bleeding from the back of her head. In 2015, Baldacchino and Ian Harker, the child’s father, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit that contends the alleged negligence on behalf Dr. John O. Chan led to the permanent disfigurement of their daughter.
The lawsuit claims that Chan misdiagnosed ruptured blood vessels on the back of the infant’s scalp and then allegedly ordered that an ACE bandage be wrapped around the child’s head. Chan claimed in court that he was concerned the bleeding could become fatal and believed that the bandage would “slow down the bleeding and allow clotting.” But instead the baby’s parents, current doctors, and lawyers claimed in court that the bandage was left on for days, which caused permanent disfigurement to her scalp and led to her inability to grow hair on much of her head, as well as intense pain and suffering.
The lawsuit went to trial in March 2018, and after hearing four days of testimony and other evidence, a Pennsylvania jury came back with a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The jury awarded the family $47 million, which is one of the largest medical malpractice damages ever handed out in the state’s history.
Baldacchino and Harker’s child is now five-years-old and has already undergone several reconstructive surgeries. According to the family she will require medical attention for the rest of her life. The damages included $3.3 million for her future medical expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
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