Lawsuit Filed Against Hospital After Black Woman Dies Hours After Giving Birth

In April 2016, a Black mother died just hours after giving birth via C-section to her second son at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. When the woman’s husband noticed blood in her catheter bag, there was a significant delay in identifying the source of the bleeding. By the time she received care, it was too late. The autopsy later revealed massive internal bleeding following the planned C-section to be the cause of death.

The widower filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital. He also recently filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging racial discrimination after the mother purportedly received inferior care because of the color of her skin.

Maternal death, particularly among women of color, is a widespread problem in the United States. According to the CDC, in 2020, the maternal death rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births—2.9 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women. Overall, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. has more than tripled in the last 35 years, according to the Associated Press and the data from the CDC.

If You Lost a Loved One During Childbirth, Call Our Birth Injury Attorneys Today

If you lost a loved one during the labor and delivery process, please contact us. During a free consultation, we can answer your legal questions and help you understand your potential legal options.