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Family awarded over $20 million in malpractice lawsuit against University Health doctor

Posted at 2:47 PM, Apr 07, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-07 15:47:34-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A local family was awarded $20.3 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a University Health doctor, according to court documents.

A Jackson County judge reached his decision Wednesday in the case that alleged Dr. Kelli Sandri improperly treated a mother giving birth, resulting in the child developing cerebral palsy.

"After a two-week trial, a Jackson County jury ruled that Dr. Sandri violated her duty of care and improperly supervised a student doctor with respect to the administration of medication used to speed up labor," a release from a firm representing the family's lawyers said. "There was an overdose of Pitocin, which was apparent on monitoring equipment. The overdose resulted in a loss of oxygen to the baby’s brain causing cerebral palsy."

The settlement is meant to address past and future "noneconomic" damages, future medical expenses and other future expenses.