Overview

• Judge Patrick Corum issued the early August ruling, reported this week, finding Steward liable and granting what lawyers say is the largest damages award in Utah history.
• Court filings describe in‑training nurses giving excessive Pitocin, missed signs of fetal distress, and a C‑section delayed more than 24 hours while an on‑call physician slept nearby.
• The newborn, Azaylee, was diagnosed with metabolic acidosis and oxygen deprivation, resulting in permanent brain damage, frequent seizures, limited speech, and a need for round‑the‑clock care.
• Steward denied liability in May 2024, then its attorneys withdrew and the company did not appoint new counsel, prompting the judge to criticize the defense’s absence and note the award might have been higher had it participated.
• The health system has 90 days from Aug. 8 to appeal, and prospects for collection are uncertain due to Steward’s Chapter 11 case and its 2023 sale of the Utah hospital, though the family’s lawyer says they expect to recover at least some punitive damages.