Who Is Jessica Ross? The Georgia Mother Alleges Her Baby Was Decapitated During Delivery

Jessica Ross is a 20-year-old woman from Georgia who filed a lawsuit against Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale and Dr. Tracey St. Julian, the physician who delivered her baby, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., on July 9, 2023. According to the lawsuit, Jessica Ross alleges that her baby was decapitated during a vaginal delivery that involved excessive traction and delayed cesarean section. She also claims that the hospital staff attempted to conceal the manner of death from her and her boyfriend, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., and discouraged them from seeking an autopsy.

What happened during the delivery?

According to the lawsuit, Jessica Ross went to the emergency room at Southern Regional Medical Center around 10 a.m. after her water broke. She was at full term and had a normal pregnancy. At 8:40 p.m., Jessica Ross began pushing as she was fully dilated. However, the baby did not properly descend due to shoulder dystocia, a condition where the baby’s shoulders become stuck in the pelvic area. Dr. St. Julian reportedly attempted to deliver the baby vaginally. She tried various methods such as applying traction to the baby’s head.

The lawsuit alleges that St. Julian used too much force and pulled on the head and neck of the baby so hard that he suffered multiple fractures and hemorrhages in his skull, face, and neck, resulting in his decapitation.

The lawsuit alleges that Dr. St. Julian “grossly negligently applied excessive traction on Treveon Isiah Taylor Jr.’s head and neck and grossly negligently failed to do a Cesarean section in a timely resulting in the baby’s decapitation and death.” The lawsuit also alleges that Dr. St. Julian failed to inform Ross and her family about the decapitation.

At around 11:50 p.m., Dr. St. Julian decided to perform a STAT Cesarean section. Jessica’s body and legs were delivered at 12:11 a.m. as per my research. Baby’s head was delivered vaginally.

How did the hospital staff handle the situation?

The lawsuit claims that the hospital staff did everything in their power to not let the family know what happened. They allegedly wrapped the baby tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top of his body in a way that concealed the decapitation. They also allegedly told Ross and Taylor that they were not allowed to touch or hold their child, and only allowed them to view their dead child.

The lawsuit also claims that the hospital staff discouraged Ross and Taylor from seeking an autopsy, instead telling them to have their son cremated in lieu of taking him to a funeral home. The lawsuit says that a report of the alleged decapitation was never made to authorities, and that the death was flagged by a funeral home.

What are the legal actions taken by Ross and her attorneys?

Jessica Ross filed a lawsuit on August 9, 2023 against Southern Regional Medical Center, Dr. Tracey St. Julian, Prime Healthcare Services Inc., Prime Healthcare Foundation Inc., Prime Healthcare Management Inc., Prime Healthcare Services – Southern Regional LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Physicians LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Anesthesia LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Emergency Physicians LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Radiology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Pathology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Hospitalists LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Cardiology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Orthopedics LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Surgery LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Neurology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Gastroenterology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Nephrology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Pulmonology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Oncology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Urology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Ophthalmology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Otolaryngology LLC, Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Endocrinology LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Rheumatology LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Infectious Disease LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Allergy & Immunology LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Dermatology LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Psychiatry LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Riverdale Pain Management LLC,
Prime Healthcare Services – Southern Regional Home Health Agency Inc.,
and John Does 1-10.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for medical malpractice, wrongful death, negligence per se, negligent infliction of emotional distress, fraud by concealment or misrepresentation of material facts concerning the death of Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., and punitive damages.

The lawsuit also demands a jury trial.

Jessica Ross is represented by attorneys Roderick Edmond, Cory Lynch, and J. Antonio DelCampo of Edmond Lindsay & Hoffler LLP, and attorneys Michael B. Terry and Naveen Ramachandrappa of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP.

How did the hospital and the doctor react?

The lawsuit claims that St. Julian failed to tell Jessica Ross and Taylor about the decapitation when he spoke to them a few hours after the delivery. Instead, he told them that their son had died due to complications from shoulder dystocia.

The lawsuit also alleges that the hospital staff discouraged Jessica Ross and Taylor from seeking an autopsy for their son, and told them to have him cremated instead of taking him to a funeral home. The lawsuit says that this was done to avoid a forensic autopsy. It also claimed the hospital tries to obstruct the gathering of evidence.

The lawsuit says that when Jessica Ross and Taylor demanded to see and hold their son, the hospital staff allowed them to only view their dead child, who was wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top of his body in a way that they could not identify that he had been decapitated.

The lawsuit says that a report of the alleged decapitation was never made to authorities and that the death was flagged by a funeral home.

What are the allegations and demands of the lawsuit?

The lawsuit accuses Southern Regional Medical Center, Prime Healthcare Services (the owner of the hospital), Dr. Tracey St. Julian, and several nurses of gross negligence, wrongful death, fraud, concealment, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, and violation of Georgia’s Patient’s Bill of Rights.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for medical expenses, funeral expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, punitive damages, attorney fees, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

The lawsuit also demands a jury trial.

What are some facts about shoulder dystocia?

Shoulder dystocia is a rare but serious complication that occurs when a baby’s shoulders get stuck in the mother’s pelvis during vaginal delivery. It can cause injury to both the mother and the baby. Some risk factors for shoulder dystocia include:

• Having a large baby (macrosomia)
• Having diabetes or gestational diabetes
• Having a prolonged second stage of labor
• Having a previous history of shoulder dystocia
• Having an assisted vaginal delivery with forceps or vacuum

Some signs of shoulder dystocia include:

• The baby’s head emerges but then retracts back into the vagina (turtle sign)
• The baby’s head is visible but the shoulders are not (head-to-body delivery interval)
• The baby’s anterior shoulder is wedged behind the mother’s pubic bone

Some possible outcomes of shoulder dystocia include:

• Brachial plexus injury, which is damage to the nerves that control the movement and sensation of the arm and hand
• Fracture of the clavicle (collarbone) or humerus (upper arm bone)
• Asphyxia (lack of oxygen) or brain damage
• Fetal death
• Maternal hemorrhage or uterine rupture

Some possible interventions for shoulder dystocia include:

• Applying suprapubic pressure, which is pushing on the lower abdomen to dislodge the shoulder
• Changing the mother’s position, such as lifting her legs to her chest (McRoberts maneuver) or turning her on her hands and knees (Gaskin maneuver)
• Performing an episiotomy, which is a surgical cut in the perineum (the area between the vagina and the anus)
• Rotating the baby’s shoulders manually (Woods corkscrew or Rubin maneuvers)
• Delivering the posterior arm first
• Performing a Zavanelli maneuver, which is pushing the baby’s head back into the uterus and performing an emergency cesarean section

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