Beaumont hit with $144 million damage award in birth trauma case

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) - A Macomb teenager has won a $144-million verdict from William Beaumont Hospital.

Markell VanSlembrouck was a big baby. She weighed 10lbs, 12 oz when she was born. Her attorney Geoffrey Fieger says her doctor should’ve performed a c-section, but didn’t. Now at the age of 15, Markell isn’t like other teens who look forward to getting their first set of wheels. Her wheels are attached to her wheelchair.

VanSlembrouck suffers from cerebral palsy, which Fieger argued was caused by the doctor’s negligence. In an Oakland County circuit court on Tuesday, eight jurors seemed to agree by awarding VanSlembrouck $144-million. “Just so anybody thinks that someone was enriched by this money, that’s at $12 an hour, 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year, for 77 years into future. That’s the cost of caring Markell,” Fieger told reporters from his law offices in Southfield.

Beaumont hospital released this statement, “We disagree with the verdict and are planning to appeal. We believe we scientifically proved that the child’s disabilities are related to a genetic condition.”

It has already been a long process. It took seven years to bring the case to a trial, and an additional three weeks for the trial.

Through tears, Markell’s mother told reporters it wasn’t about the money. “It’s not about getting rich. It’s about helping a baby who never asked for this,” said Kimberly VanSlembrouck.