Marla Dixon was in the final stage of labor and ready to deliver a baby boy when the obstetrician arrived at her bedside at North Shore Medical Center in Miami.
It was not a high-risk pregnancy. But over the next 90 minutes, the doctor made a series of missteps that led to a tragic outcome for Dixon and her baby - and a $33.8 million malpractice judgment, according to a federal lawsuit.
The doctor ordered nurses to restart a drug to strengthen contractions, failed to perform a Cesarean section - and walked away from Dixon's room for long periods, once for an eight-minute phone call from his stockbroker, the verdict said.
It was not a high-risk pregnancy. But over the next 90 minutes, the doctor made a series of missteps that led to a tragic outcome for Dixon and her baby - and a $33.8 million malpractice judgment, according to a federal lawsuit.
The doctor ordered nurses to restart a drug to strengthen contractions, failed to perform a Cesarean section - and walked away from Dixon's room for long periods, once for an eight-minute phone call from his stockbroker, the verdict said.