The family of a Staten Island teen who suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a premature birth won a $100 million lawsuit yesterday against the hospital where she was born, attorneys in the case said.
Stephanie Debes, now 17, and her twin sister, Amanda, were born three months early after St. Vincent’s Medical Center on Staten Island allegedly failed to give them proper care, said Richard Sgarlato, the Debes family’s attorney.
Amanda was OK. But Stephanie, as a result of her premature birth, suffered a brain injury resulting in cerebral palsy, Sgarlato said.
“I watch my twin sister go out with her friends to parties and stuff. I don’t get to do as much as the average teenager,” Stephanie said. “The award will help me do whatever I want to do in life and give me a little more freedom.”
“Stephanie’s life is a pretty lonely one. She doesn’t have a lot of friends,” said her father, Rob Debes, 53, a retired UPS employee.
A Staten Island Supreme Court jury found that hospital staffers were negligent in failing to recognize mom Catherine Debes’ contractions before she went into labor and failed to prevent pre-term delivery of her daughters, Sgarlato said.
“Stephanie’s imprisoned in her own body. She can’t even roll over in bed,” said Sgarlato. “It’s definitely the largest verdict in the history of Staten Island.”
The jury found St. Vincent’s liable for $17 million in past pain and suffering and $60 million in future pain and suffering.
The award also includes payment for future medical expenses and lost wages, which brings the total to an estimated $103,075,617.82, according to Sgarlato.
Two doctors were also defendants in the suit but were found not liable for damages. Their attorney, Carl Erman, confirmed the $77 million award and said a total of more than $100 million was a reasonable estimate.
Lou Jakub, the attorney representing St. Vincent’s, estimated the total as being less than $100 million, and said he’s going to appeal.
“This was an extremely premature baby who weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces at birth. The St Vincent’s doctors, nurses and staff managed a very difficult and challenging situation appropriately,” said Jakub. “This child’s unfortunate injuries were not caused by any shortcomings in the care rendered at St Vincent’s.”
Despite the eye-popping jury award, the payout to Debes will be limited to the insurance coverage because St. Vincent’s went bankrupt in 2010. That figure is about $16 million, Sgarlato said.
Rob Debes said the hospital staff didn’t listen to his wife the night of the premature delivery — they just gave her Benadryl and forced him to go home.
“That night they made me leave, and I’ve had to live with that for 17 years, he said. “For 17 years my wife felt like she had done something wrong.”
“I felt vindicated when the verdict was announced,” he added.