South MS doctor accused of causing permanent injuries in childbirth, 2 sets of parents say
Two Jackson County couples are suing obstetrician-gynecologist Bradley Sams and The Islands clinic in Ocean Springs, where he practices, over deliveries that permanently injured their babies, their lawsuits say.
Both couples say that Sams should have delivered their babies by caesarean section when complications developed, but staff at Ocean Springs Hospital continued to administer Pitocin, a synthetic hormone used to induce labor.
Hannah and Austin Overstreet filed their lawsuit in March against Sams and The Islands. The Overstreets recently added Singing River Health System, Sams’ employer and owner of Ocean Springs Hospital, as a defendant.
Jordan and James Hunter Waite filed their lawsuit on Oct. 15 against the same parties.
Both lawsuits are filed in Jackson County Circuit Court. They allege that Sams was negligent in his delivery of their daughters, and that the clinic and Singing River are liable, too. Their lawsuits seek unspecified damages. Both couples are represented by attorney Shane Langston of Jackson.
In the Overstreets’ case, Sams denies any wrongdoing and says he met or exceeded the standard of care that an obstetrician-gynecologist provides. The response also says The Islands had no involvement in the delivery. Sams and The Islands are represented by Pascagoula attorney John Banahan.
Singing River was recently added as a defendant in the Overstreet case and has not had time to respond to either lawsuit. Sams and The Islands also have not had time to file a response in the Waite case.
The lawsuits filed by the parents represent only one side of the case.
Labor, delivery at Ocean Springs Hospital
Hannah Overstreet was admitted to Ocean Springs Hospital in July 2022 for a pre-scheduled delivery with induced labor due to low amniotic fluid, the Overstreets’ lawsuit says.
“The volume of Pitocin administered continually and steadily increased despite fetal intolerance and excessive uterine activity,” the lawsuit says, adding that she was eventually given “massive doses” of the hormone.
Overstreet then experienced excessive uterine contractions, which have been associated with a fetus experiencing distress and low oxygen levels, the lawsuit says. Medical literature suggests emergency delivery or caesarean section as an effective treatment option.
Instead, Overstreet received Pitocin over a period of four hours while the fetus continued to show signs of distress, namely a decelerated heart rate.
“This is sad,” the lawsuit says. “Ridiculous. Unconscionable. Avoidable.”
After delivery, the baby had seizures and had to be flown to Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile. The lawsuit says the baby also suffered other complications, along with permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen.
The lawsuit accuses Sams of failing to properly monitor Overstreet and the baby, and supervise the staff on duty. As a result of her injuries, the lawsuit says, medical bills will continue and their child’s future earning capacity will be diminished. In his response, Sams denies that his care caused the injuries.
Lawsuit says warnings ignored
The Waites’ baby was delivered a little more than a month earlier, in June 2022, also through induced labor at Ocean Springs Hospital, the lawsuit says. Forceps and suction were used to deliver the baby more than 24 hours after Jordan Waite was admitted. Recurring decreases in the fetal heart rate were recorded, indicating the low oxygen levels and suggesting the need for a c-section, the lawsuit says.
“These warning signs were largely ignored,” the lawsuit says. Instead, the hospital’s nursing staff continued to administer Pitocin, despite excessive uterine contractions, violating the standard of care, the lawsuit says.
The baby’s shoulder was displaced from continuous pushing during labor to “force a vaginal delivery,” the lawsuit says.
The baby suffered a fractured skull. Also, an injury to the nerves that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and hand, caused Erb’s palsy, leaving the baby with permanent weakness or loss of motion in the right arm. Low oxygen during birth can also cause “irreversible neurological deficiencies,” the lawsuit says.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 9:53 AM.
