Nationwide — Naqah Lake, a 6-year-old African American boy from Raleigh, North Carolina, and his mother, Laurel Browne, received an $18.2 million award after a jury found a doctor was negligent during his birth. The injury left him with permanent damage and a lifelong disability affecting his left arm.
Browne and Naqah filed a lawsuit in 2022 against WakeMed and four medical staff members, claiming they failed to properly handle complications during Naqah’s delivery at a local hospital in September 2019.
After a five-week trial, a Wake County jury found Tara Brenner, who was a third-year medical resident at the time, responsible for Naqah’s injuries. Brenner, who now works as an obstetrician-gynecologist at WakeMed, denied that she acted negligently.
According to People, the family’s attorneys argued that Naqah suffered severe nerve damage when his shoulder became stuck during delivery, and Brenner used a maneuver that caused injuries to his left arm.
Naqah was not breathing at birth and spent nine days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors later diagnosed him with a serious brachial plexus injury, also known as Erb’s palsy, which limits movement and strength in his arm.
Although Naqah had surgery at 6 months old, he continues to live with permanent weakness and disfigurement in his left arm. He needs help with everyday activities, including getting dressed, opening containers, and using the bathroom.
His attorneys said the injury has also affected him emotionally and prevents him from doing activities that require both arms, such as playing certain sports or using both hands normally.
“The jury rightly recognized that Naqah will never be able to play sports that require both hands, hug his mother with both arms, hold his own child with both arms, or simply clap his hands, because of a ‘never maneuver,’” one of the family’s attorneys, Lisa Weinstein, said in a statement. “We are grateful for the jury for holding WakeMed accountable for the lifelong disability it caused.”
Brenner’s lawyers argued that she followed proper medical procedures and met the expected standard of care. The jury found her negligent but determined that her actions did not amount to gross negligence.
Because North Carolina law limits some medical malpractice awards without a finding of gross negligence, the final payout may be reduced. The jury’s $18.2 million award included $2.2 million for economic damages and $16 million for non-economic damages.
WakeMed said the jury found three other employees named in the lawsuit were not negligent and rejected claims that the hospital failed to properly supervise Brenner. The family’s attorneys said the verdict recognized the lifelong impact of Naqah’s injuries.