A new lawsuit alleges that a 2019 ransomware attack on an Alabama hospital directly caused the death of an infant—marking the first time a ransomware-related medical malpractice suit goes to court.
According to The Wall Street Journal, on July 16, 2019, eight days into the three-week cyberattack on Springhill Medical Center, Teiranni Kidd gave birth to her daughter, Nicko Silar, during a scheduled delivery. Nicko was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and as a result, suffered severe brain damage. She died nine months later. The hospital, the lawsuit alleges, missed vital signs – namely a dangerously accelerated fetal heartbeat—that would have otherwise led to a cesarean section and would have potentially saved Nicko’s life.
As well as affecting the equipment that monitors fetal heartbeats, the court filings claim that the attack left the hospital without access to patient health records and that the wireless tracking system used to locate staff was not working.
Read the full article IFL Science.
