Lawsuit filed against Johns Hopkins Hospital for death of two-year old

Wais, Vogelstein, Forman & Offutt Files Lawsuit Against Johns Hopkins Hospital For Negligence Resulting In The Death Of A Two-Year-Old Girl

From PRNewsire: Baltimore family seeking compensation after their daughter's delayed cancer treatment; Hopkins failed to notify parents of potentially cancerous cyst found at birth.

BALTIMORE, July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, & Offutt, LLC (WVF&O) announced it has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City against Johns Hopkins Hospital and a number of their employees on behalf of Emma Webster, a two-year-old girl who died after she received delayed treatment for neuroblastoma as a result of negligence by Hospital providers.

On August 7, 2016, Francesca Webster gave birth to twins Emma and Zoe at Johns Hopkins Hospital via cesarean section. During the newborn admission, an abdominal ultrasound examination showed a cyst on Emma's right adrenal gland. Healthcare professionals noted that neuroblastoma, a cancer commonly found in the adrenal glands, could not be ruled out and required follow-up testing. Despite the discovery, Francesca and her husband, Dave Webster, were never notified by Johns Hopkins of the presence of the potentially cancerous cyst on their newborn daughter's adrenal gland. 

In 2018, Emma became ill and was diagnosed with neuroblastoma which started in her right adrenal gland, but by that time the cancer had spread to her spine, skull, upper chest and neck, left femur, and more. Emma passed away on June 3, 2019, after multiple treatments failed to slow down the progression of the disease. Had her parents been notified at the time of the newborn ultrasound, Emma's cancer could have been treated before it became incurable.

"At discharge, we were instructed to follow up with several specialists on Emma's behalf, which we followed through with immediately. If a cyst had been mentioned [to us] when Emma was born, we never would have let it go. We would have made the necessary appointments to protect our daughter," said Dave Webster, Emma's father. "All Johns Hopkins needed to do was inform us of the results from the ultrasound, which they never did. We want healthcare providers to be held accountable and prioritize communicating with each other and with parents."

Francesca, with a warning to other parents, said, "What happened to our family could happen to anyone.  We want to stress to parents to ask questions about what tests were done and their results. Also to order and review all medical records to make sure you have a full understanding of your child's care."

Since Emma's passing, the Webster family has launched the Emma Claire Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to assist in relieving financial burdens for families of children fighting cancer.

Francesca and Dave are long-time residents of the Baltimore area. Growing up and until just a few years ago, Francesca's parents owned and operated the famed Caesar's Den restaurant in the heart of Baltimore's Little Italy. Dave met Francesca while attending Salisbury University and he is a physical education teacher for nearby Harford County Public Schools.

Johns Hopkins has refused to admit their negligence, which is why WVF&O has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Webster family in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.

"Johns Hopkins needs to be held accountable for the tragic and preventable death of Emma," said Chris Norman, partner at WVF&O, and lead counsel for the Webster family. "The negligence that took place resulted in the unnecessary suffering and death of an innocent little girl, leaving a permanent hole in the heart of her parents and twin sister. With this lawsuit, we aim to not only provide some small measure of relief to this grieving family, but also to hold those responsible accountable, and hopefully shed light on this case in a way that prevents similar tragedies from occurring in the future."

Wais, Vogelstein, Forman & Offutt, LLC is a Baltimore-based medical malpractice and birth injury law firm serving victims and families throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and the nation. Over the years, the firm has capitalized on more than a century of collective experience to recover over $500 million in verdicts and settlements, as well as record results and the largest medical malpractice verdict in United States history. More information about the firm and services can be found at www.malpracticeteam.com.