Pre-Eclampsia, Maternal Infection & High-Risk Pregnancy Errors in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula & Wisconsin
Pregnancy should be a time of careful monitoring and proactive medical management, especially for mothers with known risk factors. Yet, year after year, families across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin face tragedy because physicians ignore warning signs, delay treatment, or fail to coordinate care among specialists.
At Petrucelli & Petrucelli, we handle high-risk obstetric malpractice cases with the precision of medical investigators and the tenacity of trial lawyers.
Failure to Diagnose or Treat Pre-Eclampsia
Understanding the Condition
Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, typically after 20 weeks of gestation. Left untreated, it can escalate into eclampsia, a condition that causes seizures, coma, and, in severe cases, death for both mother and baby.
Signs Doctors Must Never Ignore
- Elevated blood pressure readings
- Severe headaches or blurred vision
- Swelling in the hands, feet, or face
- Abnormal liver or kidney lab results
- Rapid weight gain due to fluid retention
These red flags demand immediate intervention—often hospitalization, medication, or an early cesarean section to protect the mother and child.
How Negligence Occurs
Negligence arises when physicians or nurses:
- Fail to identify early signs during prenatal visits
- Dismiss maternal complaints as “normal pregnancy symptoms”
- Delay diagnostic testing or specialist referral
- Do not administer magnesium sulfate or antihypertensive therapy
- Fail to perform a timely C-section when pre-eclampsia worsens
When these mistakes occur, mothers can suffer organ failure, and infants may experience oxygen deprivation, low birth weight, or death.
Infection-Related Birth Injuries
Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
Every pregnant woman should be tested for GBS between 35 and 37 weeks. Failure to identify or treat this bacterial infection allows transmission to the baby during delivery, potentially leading to sepsis, meningitis, or pneumonia.
Chorioamnionitis & Sepsis
Untreated uterine infections, especially following prolonged rupture of membranes, can lead to catastrophic outcomes for both mother and infant. Warning signs—fever, elevated heart rate, and foul-smelling amniotic fluid—should trigger immediate antibiotic treatment and delivery.
Postpartum Infections
Hospitals must also monitor for infections after birth. Retained placenta, surgical contamination, and poor wound care can cause hemorrhage, shock, or death.
Our Approach
We collaborate with infectious-disease specialists and obstetric nurses to trace how pathogens spread, when antibiotics were delayed, and which safety protocols were ignored. These detailed timelines demonstrate preventable harm with scientific precision.
Mismanagement of High-Risk Pregnancies
Some pregnancies are medically complex from the start—due to diabetes, hypertension, multiple gestations, or maternal age. Proper management demands careful coordination among obstetricians, perinatologists, and nurses.
Negligence may occur when:
- High-risk mothers aren’t referred to maternal-fetal specialists
- Ultrasounds or fetal-growth scans are skipped or misread
- Blood-sugar levels aren’t controlled in diabetic mothers
- Hospitals fail to plan for emergency delivery or neonatal resuscitation
Our firm has successfully litigated cases where doctors ignored these risks, resulting in stillbirth, preterm birth, or lifelong disability for the child.
How Petrucelli & Petrucelli Builds These Cases
- Complete Prenatal Record Review – We obtain OB charts, lab panels, ultrasounds, and specialist correspondence.
- Expert Consultation – High-risk obstetricians, maternal-fetal-medicine experts, and infectious-disease physicians pinpoint errors in management.
- Causation Proof – We connect each medical failure directly to maternal or fetal injury.
- Damages Quantification – Economists and life-care planners calculate financial and emotional costs for both mother and child.
Why Families Turn to Vincent Petrucelli
For nearly five decades, Vincent Petrucelli has fought for mothers and infants whose tragedies could have been prevented with basic medical vigilance. As a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Super Lawyers® honoree since 2007, and the lead attorney in Ferdon v. Wisconsin Patients Compensation Fund, he brings unmatched authority and empathy to these emotionally charged cases.
Families across Marquette, Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Menominee, Houghton, and Green Bay trust our firm to uncover the truth and deliver meaningful justice. Contact Vincent Petrucelli today at (906) 265-6173 or vincent@truthfinders.com.
Petrucelli & Petrucelli — Fighting for Justice Across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin
