Posted on 08/28/2025 1:12:38 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
A family has been award nearly a billion dollars after suing a Utah hospital for botching a mother's delivery and leaving the parents with a severely disabled baby.
Anyssa Zancanella was awarded $951 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit after a judge said her daughter, Azaylee, would have been safer being born in 'the bathroom of a gas station, or a hut somewhere in Africa.'
Zancanella said her healthy pregnancy with her first daughter began to awry after her water broke while on a short trip to the Salt Lake City area in October 2019.
Hours away from her doctor in her home state of Wyoming, the family rushed to Jordan Valley Medical Center West Valley Campus, which was operated at the time by the now defunct Steward Health Care.
While at the hospital, Zancanella's lawsuit said she was given 'excessive' does of Pitocin, a labor-inducing drug, and ignored by nurses and medical staff.
'This was the very first, or one of the very first times, that either of the assigned bedside nurses had individually been assigned a laboring patient,' the lawsuit said.
Zancanella said doctors did not perform a C-section delivery until over a day after she was admitted, which ultimately deprived her baby of oxygen and caused brain damage.
'[The obstetrician] abandoned mother and fetus/infant when she was fully aware of significant and dangerous issues with the ongoing labor process and the ongoing health and well-being of the fetus,' the lawsuit said.
'[Azaylee] sustained damages, including but not limited to, permanent neurological and cognitive damages, physical damages, emotional damages, limitations in physical, cognitive and mental function, as well as pain and suffering.'
Zancanella's said during her testimony: '[Azaylee] had her life stolen. We all did. We had her...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
![]() |
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Today, that is basically the Powerball Lottery payout.
Seems...excessive.
If the story is true, this hospital was terrible, but I see no way they can pay one billion dollars. Sorry but this is just stupid the amount being awarded is nowadays.
Excessive; mother should not have traveled so close to her due date.
One case in my court had the defendant making faces at the decedents' family when they were on the witness stand under examination by the defendant's attorney, who had no idea why the jury was reacting so badly towards his client.
I expect that the amount here will be cut way back on appeal.
This is why we need tort reform.
Even if her O.B. let her know travel would be dangerous she is not responsible for the hospital’s neglect. I think (based on the high dosage of pitocin) the medical staff wanted to hurry labor and delivery along. From what I read there was no medical indication for the high dosages.
ridiculous sum. I feel sorry for the mother and her baby, but 10 million would have been plenty for any life.
Whenever I see one of these absurd, emotional verdicts I think the jury should be held personally liable for the difference between their number and the reduced-to-reality amount after the appeal
That award is insane. The Jury needs to go to prison for not taking their duty seriously.
I think juries that treat their responsibility frivolously should spend time in jail to make them understand we aren't playing games here.
Award something realistic, or go to jail. That's how it needs to be.
Wait a minute. What will be the costs of this disabled child for its entire life? Give the child 75 years of perpetual care of whatever sort, and special requirements when university years arrive, and special this and that.
Might the child be in ICU all the time? Don’t know.
But the price tag is going to explode over 75 years.
Accidents happen. The jury did not think this was an accident. From that point onward, the number has to align to these costs just mentioned.
And that's why your medical bills are so high.
My BIL was an oncologist and his malpractice insurance was $35K per year.
He was once sued for simply referring a patient to another doctor who had the expertise he didn't.
On the last day of trial, his lawyer tried to get him to settle but he refused. The judge then took him and his lawyer into his chambers, and also tried to get him to admit fault. He again refused.
When they came out of the judges chambers, the suing party dropped the charges against him........
You're assuming the child is going to live that long. Not likely, maybe 10 years at the very most.
I was on a jury in a civil case. It was messy. An elderly man (84) fell and was suing the city and county for not maintaining the sideway. He now had Alzheimer’s, so his wife (60) was suing in his name.
It came up during the trial that this was his second marriage. The new wife had been his secretary and he had left his first wife (and two kids) after 25 years to marry the gold digger.
As for the case...she had wanted to get her hair done and he had a doctor’s appointment. She dropped him off at the doctor’s and told him to wait for her at the diner up the street. When he walked up the street, he tripped on the sidewalk where a tree root had pushed it up.
The judge’s instructions kind of tied our hands. Since the city admitted the sidewalk was in disrepair, we had to find for the plaintiff, it was just a matter of how much.
It took us less than an hour. The plaintiff got his medical bills that were directly related to the accident paid for (about $1500). We rejected the assertation that the fall had led to him developing Alzheimer’s. As for punitive damages, we awarded the plaintiff $1.
Boy, was the gold digger pissed.
I am tempted to ask if the writer of this piece has brain damage. It is truly amazing to see so many typos and grammatical errors in such a short article.
frankly, i think it’s much safer to go with a qualified midwife at home (with known hospital and obgyn backup) then having a baby at any big hospital these days. very dangerous.
Damages, sure. But not a billion dollars, please.
Why was she a gold digger?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.