MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

PINELLAS CIRCUIT COURT

A jury awarded $6.58 million to the parents of a baby who died shortly after birth.

On Aug. 28, 2014, Juliette Epple was born with a detectable heartbeat but was otherwise unresponsive. She was diagnosed with profound metabolic acidosis and was ultimately declared brain dead and removed from life support the next day. Juliette's parents claimed Dr. Thomas Umstead failed to properly check on his patient and interpret the fetal monitoring strips.

Umstead claimed he left orders for the registered nurse to notify him of any abnormal electronic fetal monitoring tracings, but the nurse misinterpreted the tracings as normal, and by the time she informed him about the falling fetal heart rate, it was too late to save the baby.

Case: Epple v. Umstead

Case No.: 16-000961-CI

Plaintiffs attorneys: Keith M. Carter and Armando T. Lauritano, Morgan & Morgan, Tampa

Defense attorneys: Aram P. Megerian and Matthew S. Mudano, Cole, Scott & Kissane, Tampa