In a heart-wrenching legal battle, a grieving family has filed a lawsuit against a prominent university and associated medical professionals, alleging negligence that led to the tragic death of their young child. On December 30, 2024, Seannis Crawford and Elias Marcolino da Silva lodged their complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, targeting The Regents of the University of California among others.
The plaintiffs, Seannis Crawford and Elias Marcolino da Silva, are pursuing justice for their daughter Saile Marcolino da Silva's untimely demise. According to the court documents, the family accuses The Regents of the University of California and several medical practitioners at the San Francisco Birth Center and UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay of failing to provide adequate care during Crawford's labor on July 24-25, 2020. The lawsuit details how Crawford was admitted to the San Francisco Birth Center in labor with ruptured membranes. Despite signs of fetal distress such as tachycardia and late decelerations in fetal heart monitoring, she was not informed about these risks nor advised that an emergency cesarean section was necessary until it was too late.
Tragically, baby Saile was born with severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and other complications that ultimately led to her death on July 2, 2024. The plaintiffs argue that this outcome could have been avoided had there been timely intervention by the medical staff involved. "Plaintiffs have been deprived of love, companionship...and moral support," reads part of their claim as they seek damages for wrongful death under California's Civil Code.
The legal action seeks multiple forms of relief from the court: compensation for non-economic damages related to loss of companionship and support due to Saile’s death; reimbursement for funeral expenses; and recognition of Saile’s pre-death pain and suffering caused by alleged medical malpractice. The plaintiffs' attorneys argue that these claims are justified given the severe impact on both parents’ lives following their daughter's preventable death.
Representing Seannis Crawford and Elias Marcolino da Silva are attorneys Benjamin T. Ikuta and Heather Baker Dobbs from Ikuta Hemesath LLP. They have demanded a jury trial to resolve this case under Case ID CGC-24-621021 before judges in San Francisco’s Superior Court.