El Cajon
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A jury in New York City has awarded $4.2 million to an El Cajon couple who had sued a Brooklyn hospital, alleging that their daughter suffered brain damage because of negligent care during her delivery.
The girl, Yesenia Sastaque, now 12 years old, is retarded and suffers some neurological impairment, said Thomas Moore, the attorney who represented the family.
Her parents, Elizabeth and Javier Sastaque, sued Maimonides Medical Center eight years ago, charging that doctors did not immediately administer oxygen to the infant, who was born with “fetal distress,” Moore said.
He said the parents sued the hospital in 1980 when they were told by doctors in California that the girl’s brain damage was caused by lack of oxygen at birth. The family moved to California from Brooklyn in 1979.
The case was heard by a six-member Brooklyn jury that awarded the $4.2 million to the couple Thursday after a three-week trial.
A spokeswoman for Maimonides did not immediately return a call for comment.
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