Mother of brain-damaged boy wins $50M in malpractice suit

OAK PARK, Ill. (AP) - A jury awarded $101 million to the mother of a severely brain-damaged boy who sued a Chicago-area hospital for medical malpractice, but an agreement between the parties cut the amount to $50 million.

Attorneys told a Cook County jury that medical staff at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park ignored ultrasound results that indicated the unborn baby didn't move for six hours during labor in 2014.

Experts testified that a cesarean section would have prevented Gerald Sallis' brain damage. The 5-year-old cannot speak, walk or sit up on his own. The hospital was accused of ignoring Tequila Sallis' concerns that she couldn't feel him move.

The family's attorney, Keith Hebeisen, says both sides agreed to cap the award at $50 million. In return, Tenet Healthcare, which owns the hospital, won't appeal.