Attorneys needed to demonstrate to jurors that doctors ignored obvious red flags of jaundice that they should have easily recognized. But in order to help jurors understand why these flags were so obvious, they also needed to simplify some enormously complex medical issues most jurors might not understand, such as “What is jaundice and how can it cause a brain injury?”
The attorneys needed a visual presentation that would simplify complex medical concepts so they could focus on conveying the key points of how and why the defendants’ negligent actions resulted in their client’s brain injury.
The following visual presentation helped convince an Arkansas jury to award their client a $46.5M verdict.
HOW IS JAUNDICE NORMALLY TREATED?
Phototherapy is the most common treatment for reducing high bilirubin levels that cause jaundice. The baby lies in an incubator and is exposed to a fluorescent light that is absorbed through the skin. The light from phototherapy converts the bilirubin to a form that can be removed by the kidneys.
Jaundice rarely leads to serious complications as long the baby’s bilirubin levels are monitored. But if left untreated, jaundice can cause irreversible brain damage. This is so rare and preventable, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists it as one of 27 medical errors that should never happen.
