ORONO, Maine (AP) The federal government has agreed to pay $10 million to a Maine woman after a medical clinic failed to tell her or the state about signs that her son had been abused, according to court records.
The agreement between the mother and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services still must be approved by a federal judge. It would set aside $7 million for the boy’s long-term medical care, the Bangor Daily News reported on Monday. The boy suffered significant injuries from the abuse by an ex-boyfriend of the mother.
The mother sued with a claim that medical personnel at the Brewer Medical Center, a federally funded clinic, didn’t tell her about signs of abuse, and didn’t report it to authorities.
The mother’s lawsuit was against the federal government because Medicaid paid for the care her son received. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment to The Associated Press about the settlement.
The abuse left the boy blind and with brain injuries. The ex-boyfriend is now incarcerated in a Maine prison.
Brewer Medical Center is run by Penobscot Community Health Care, the largest federally qualified health center in Maine. A spokesperson for the organization declined to comment to the AP.
