Orlando Health Admits to Breaking Newborn’s Neck in NICU

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of Jahxy Peets has called for a press conference to be held on Monday, October 21, 2024, at 3:30pm, outside Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, to demand justice from the hospital conglomerate, who they allege broke their newborn daughter's neck in the NICU, leaving her paralyzed and ultimately leading to her death.

Jahxy Peets was born prematurely at 24 weeks on June 13, 2022. Roughly two weeks later, her neck was broken by a healthcare provider, an injury that experts say could only result from excessive force. The individual responsible put Jahxy back in the incubator without notifying anyone, leaving her untreated until other healthcare providers noticed she was no longer moving her limbs.

Despite knowing the cause of Jahxy's paralysis, Orlando Health delayed informing her parents for weeks, offering only vague explanations. Jahxy died at 165 days old, on November 25, 2022, and her family remains devastated by this preventable loss of life.

Orlando Health has invoked Florida Statute 766.207, admitting liability but capping the family's pain and suffering damages. The statute is meant to expedite cases and reduce litigation for families, but Jahxy's parents are rejecting the admission, choosing instead to fight for justice. While Orlando Health acknowledges their negligence, they refuse to disclose who killed Jahxy Peets.

"In any other circumstance, a parent would have the right to know who was responsible for the death of their child and be granted the opportunity to pursue justice. Orlando Health is using a loophole in the law to diminish the life and death of a baby girl," said the family's attorney, Nicole Kruegel of Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa. "Their admission of liability and the cap simply gives hospital systems a license to act recklessly and not face consequences."

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday, October 17th, 2024, in the Orange County, Florida, Circuit Civil Division. The case number is 2024-CA-009197-O.

About Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa

Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa is a plaintiff litigation firm with a national practice specializing in catastrophic injury and mass torts law. With a team of experienced attorneys dedicated to fighting for the rights of those injured through negligence or wrongdoing, Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa has earned a reputation for delivering justice and securing substantial settlements for their clients.

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