A Fulton County jury has awarded Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor Sr. $2.25 million after a physician posted graphic post-mortem images and movies of their deceased new child on social media with out their consent. The toddler tragically died throughout childbirth in July 2023, and Dr. Jackson Gates’ actions solely worsened the couple’s profound grief. Right here’s the lowdown…
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Couple Secures Settlement Following Physician’s Graphic Pic Of Their Deceased Baby
In July 2023, Jessica Ross was at Southern Regional Medical Heart in Riverdale, able to welcome her first baby, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr. However issues took a tragic flip when the newborn obtained caught throughout supply as a result of shoulder dystocia. The unborn baby’s shoulders have been caught in Ross’ pelvic space, inflicting critical problems through the delivery. Per the lawsuit, Dr. Tracey St. Julian used extreme power on the newborn’s head and neck, which allegedly led to decapitation.
After hours of labor, Ross had a C-section, however the child’s physique and head have been delivered individually. Ross and Taylor’s bundle of pleasure didn’t make it. Days later, a pathologist, Dr. Jackson Gates, carried out an post-mortem. The couple employed him to find out what led to the unborn child’s demise following points in getting the matter dealt with on the hospital. However what the couple didn’t know is that Gates would go on to share the post-mortem along with his followers on social media.
The Physician & His Firm Are Ordered To Pay The Couple THIS Quantity
A Fulton County jury has now awarded the couple $2.25 million in compensatory damages. In addition they obtained $ 250,000 in punitive damages. The ruling holds Gates accountable for the emotional misery and privateness invasion attributable to the choice to publish the post-mortem. On Wednesday, June 18, following the judgment, the attorneys representing the mother and father mentioned in an announcement to NBC Information:
“Whereas we’re happy {that a} jury punished Dr. Jackson Gates for his reprehensible habits,” they mentioned. “Nothing can ease the ache that the mother and father, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor, Sr., have skilled in shedding their child boy in such a horrific approach.”
The couple had reportedly paid $2,500 for Gates to do a non-public post-mortem. In July 2023, he posted a video on IG displaying their child’s severed head. Preventing in opposition to the lawsuit, Gates pressured he didn’t point out the title of the deceased individual within the pic. He additionally beforehand claimed that he had not violate HIPAA along with his actions.
“It’s not required by a doctor to get consent to report against the law or some kind of well being concern to the general public,” Gates mentioned on the time. “I’ve been doing this for 15 years, publishing my post-mortem instances to elucidate to the general public the victimization of these individuals who’ve died.”
Gates’ lawyer, Ira Livnat, claimed he was educating his viewers with no malicious intent, per the New York Submit. Nevertheless, the jury wasn’t satisfied and awarded Ross and Taylor, which is reportedly being paid for by Jackson and his firm, Medical Diagnostics Decisions.
Extra Particulars On The Couple’s Pending Lawsuits
However there’s extra. Ross and Taylor are nonetheless preventing with two extra lawsuits following their win. One is aimed toward Dr. St. Julian, the physician who delivered the newborn, for gross negligence, allegedly botching the process by not calling for backup or doing a C-section sooner.
The opposite lawsuit is reportedly in opposition to Southern Regional Medical Heart as a result of dealing with of the supply of the unborn child below its care. The Clayton County Medical Examiner had referred to as the couple’s unborn baby’s demise a murder in January 2024. The demise was blamed on a damaged neck and spinal twine from the supply problems.
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