The Baer Law Firm Files Suit Against Piedmont Newnan Hospital in Air Embolism Case

On August 19, 2025, The Baer Law Firm filed suit on behalf of a new mom who suffered a stroke and permanent neurological deficits while pregnant during a visit to check the status of her unborn baby.

What Happened?

• Patient Background: A woman, age 28 and fourteen weeks pregnant at the time, went to the emergency department at Piedmont Newnan Hospital on January 16, 2025, with abdominal cramps and back pain. She was concerned about the health of her unborn baby. Her ultrasound and other exams were mostly normal except for a mildly low sodium level (hyponatremia). The ER doctor ordered IV fluids for her low sodium.

• Alleged Negligent Act: The IV of fluids was administered and was flowing very slowly.  According to our client and our client’s sister, the nurse attempted to deliver the fluids faster by using some sort of pressure device on the IV bag designed to squeeze the fluid like one might squeeze a ketchup bottle. Moments after applying this device, the nurse left the room, and our client became unresponsive.

• Medical Crisis: Our client was quickly attended by doctors as she lost consciousness. Later that day, she was transferred to Grady Hospital for advanced care. Imaging at Grady revealed a significant amount of air had entered our client’s brain, confirming the diagnosis of an air embolism.

• Lasting Consequences: Our client remained hospitalized at Grady and, later, Emory University Hospital and received extensive treatment for a stroke. After her discharge, she continued outpatient rehabilitation, facing persistent difficulties with mobility, memory, and vision.

Negligence of Piedmont Newton Hospital

• It is widely known that pressurizing IV bags (with a pressure infuser or similar device) to speed up infusion can force air present in the bag, tubing, or connections into the patient’s bloodstream if the system is not properly purged of air. (Think of the Ketchup bottle analogy and what happens when it is turned upside down and squeezed.) This risk is heightened when an in-line air detection device is not used and/or when the bag contains a larger volume of air, which can sometimes be present in certain IV fluid products.

• It is also widely known that using any device designed to apply pressure for faster delivery is not appropriate for a routine infusion. Such devices should only be used for rapid infusions in emergency situations (such as trauma, major hemorrhage, or resuscitation) where high flow rates are needed to sustain life.

• The evidence also suggests that suffering an air embolism from appropriate administration of IV fluids is practically nonexistent. In other words, based on The Baer Law Firm’s investigation to date, what happened to our client is one of those never events that ONLY happens as a result of provider negligence.

What’s Next?

• Fortunately, our client delivered a healthy baby boy. She continues to work hard to regain mobility and function so that she can care for her baby. However, she has not been able to return to work and will never be able to regain most of the functionality she had before her stroke.

• The lawsuit is pending in The State Court of Cobb County, awaiting the hospital’s answer to the suit.

• The Baer Law Firm looks forward to vigorously pursuing this case to help this young mother obtain fair compensation for all her harms and losses, so that she can adequately care for herself and her family.

Bryan Baer

Attorney Bryan Baer has twenty (20) years of legal experience representing clients in serious and catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice cases. He has been first chair in more than a dozen twelve-person jury trials on both the plaintiff and defense sides. Recognized as a leader in his legal community, he is frequently asked to speak at legal seminars on trial topics ranging from “Best Practices in Voire Dire” to “Maximizing Damages at Trial” as well as insurance issues such as “Navigating the Insurance Landscape” and “Injury Demands & Negotiations.” Learn more here.