Families trust that medical professionals and hospitals will properly care for them in critical situations such as childbirth. The law dictates that health care facilities and doctors owe their patients a duty of reasonable care, and when they breach that duty, they may be liable for damages.
The recent death of Christine Fields after giving birth at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn is a heartbreaking example of routine childbirth turning into a tragedy. Her family claims medical malpractice caused her death, and they are seeking compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Background of Christine Fields' Case
In November 2023, Christine Fields went to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, also called Woodhull Hospital, to give birth to her third child. Hospital personnel were allegedly concerned about the baby’s heart rate and ordered an emergency Cesarean section, also called a C-Section. During this procedure, doctors deliver a baby through cuts in the woman’s abdomen and uterus.
According to her family and attorneys, Fields objected to the procedure. She had a vaginal birth plan that she wanted to stick to, and her preferred midwife was not present. The hospital staff allegedly rushed her into the procedure based on the perceived health threat to the baby.
The Outcome
Fields’ fiancé, Jose Perez, and mother, Denene Witherspoon, were able to visit her and her newborn child after the emergency C-section. Her fiancé alleges that he and Fields alerted hospital staff that there was something wrong and that they ignored these warnings and overlooked her complications. According to family members, by the time hospital staff did notice her complications and began treating her, it was too late.
Fields passed away from a heart attack after her emergency C-section. Her fiancé, mother, and other family members were devastated to learn that what they had assumed would be an uncomplicated childbirth had gone tragically wrong. They struggled to find the answers they were looking for.
Allegations of Medical Malpractice
The Fields family claims that the doctors made mistakes during her C-section. One of her attorneys alleges there was pooling blood, potentially due to a nicked artery or other mistake that met the level of medical malpractice. The lawsuit claims that following her C-section, the hospital staff failed to monitor her properly and recognize complications. These failures contributed to her death.
The family’s attorneys noted the fetal distress and the baby’s heart rate drop leading up to the C-section. However, they also reiterated there was evidence of pooling blood that should have alerted doctors to take more action.
The Family's Fight for Truth and Justice
Christine Fields’ family wants to know the truth about what happened to her during and after her C-section. Her sister, Tanequa Witherspoon, stated that there was a lot of chaos in the hospital but that no one was keeping the family informed of what was happening. Family members and her fiancé have consistently reiterated that she was healthy going into the hospital and there were no problems with her previous two births.
Fields’ loved ones are requesting medical records and anxiously await autopsy results. The Brooklyn community has stood up for Fields’ loved ones, holding a rally in Bedford-Stuyvesant to support them and demand answers from Woodhull Hospital.
Legal Action and Seeking Compensation
Fields’ family filed a lawsuit against Woodhull Hospital and the New York City Health and Hospital System, seeking $41 million in damages. Their complaint alleges that the hospital was careless and negligent in its treatment of Christine Fields and her newborn son, Anuel Perez.
Fields’ family members have reiterated their pain and frustration in dealing with her death, including:
- “My daughter was healthy, my daughter was 30, my daughter did everything right. She had had a birthing plan,” her mother, Denene Witherspoon, said at a news conference. “Nothing was followed according to her birthing plan, and now I don’t have my child, and it just hurts so much.”
- “We do not know what is going on until the point where it was completely over and she was gone,” her sister told WABC-TV News in New York City about the scene at the hospital.
Sanford Rubenstein, the family’s attorney, noted to the press that women of color are more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women in New York City. “This should not be happening in this city,” he said.
Previous Incidents at Woodhull Hospital
Christine Fields’ death is not the first incident of alleged malpractice leading to fatal pregnancy complications at Woodhull in recent years.
According to news reports, Sha-Asia Washington went to the hospital in July 2020 for some routine tests just a few days before her delivery date. Her doctors induced labor and gave her an epidural. She went into cardiac arrest immediately following the injection and died. Doctors were able to deliver her child via a C-section.
An investigation by the New York Board for Professional Conduct found that anesthesiologist Dr. Dmitry Shelchkov improperly administered the epidural. A misconduct hearing committee found that he inserted the injection too deeply. When Washington said he couldn’t breathe, he placed an endotracheal tube in her esophagus instead of her trachea. That caused her stomach to ventilate instead of her lungs.
In October 2021, the New York State Board for Professional Conduct revoked Shelchkov’s medical license.
Following Washington’s death, the hospital released a statement stating they were aware that women of color have higher maternal mortality rates. They pledged their commitment to addressing race-based health care gaps.
Hospital's Response and Commitment to Change
In the matter of Christine Fields’ death, NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull offered condolences in an official statement and reaffirmed its commitment to providing quality care for all patients. It pledged to make advances to protect the safety and health of women giving birth and address the crisis of maternal mortality rates.
Women of color face significantly higher chances of maternal mortality, and it is time to address that devastating problem with more than words. Families deserve justice, and sometimes, that comes in the form of fighting for compensation with the help of an attorney.
The Takeaway
The circumstances of Christine Fields’ death are tragic and all too indicative of disparities in the health care system. Cases such as hers and those of other mothers dying after giving birth devastate families and impact communities and health care systems as a whole. At Freedland Harwin Valori Gander, we strongly believe in advocating for underserved communities.
Doctors and hospitals must be held accountable and improve their maternal health care policies and procedures. If they fail to take these critical, life-saving steps, more litigation may be necessary. Lawsuits can prompt hospitals to release medical records, past complaints, and investigatory reports that inform the public and grieving families. They can also spur policy changes and provide fair compensation for deserving families. They are often the best tool to hold negligent and careless medical providers accountable for their actions.
If you or a loved one experienced harm at the hands of negligent doctors or hospitals, our medical malpractice attorneys can help. We handle hospital medical malpractice, wrongful deaths, and other instances of health care neglect. Don’t hesitate to call the FHVG team today at (954) 467-6400 or complete our online form for a free consultation so we can help you determine the best path forward.
