New child death trial ordered

LINCOLN (AP) — A $900,000 judgment against Omaha's Children's Hospital and Medical Center has been rejected, and a new trial will determine whether the hospital was responsible for a 3-year-old's death.

In a ruling released Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court says the trial court was wrong to prevent the hospital's expert from offering an opinion about what caused Corey Richardson's 2005 death. And the high court says Richardson's medical records should have been admitted at trial.

After his death, doctors determined Richardson died of an inflammation of his pancreas that wasn't diagnosed.

Adoptive mother Patricia Richardson said the hospital should have admitted her son and given him intravenous fluids. The hospital argues IV fluids wouldn't have prevented the death.

In July 2009, a Douglas County jury entered the verdict against the hospital and Dr. Scott James — the last emergency room doctor to treat Corey — after a weeklong trial that primarily detailed the last two days of Corey’s life.

In a prepared statement, the hospital's attorney Patrick Vipond said, "The death of a child is unfortunate and tragic, but in this case, it is one that could not have been prevented by Dr. James or any other medical professional. Children's Hospital & Medical Center remains committed to top quality patient care and, in fact, provided good care to Corey Richardson."

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