CJ-2026-2024 - Rebecca Reed and Taylor Reed, individually, and as surviving Parents of Jacob Reed, Deceased v. INTEGRIS BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER, INC. and BROOKE FRANTZ, M.D.

What's This Case About?

Let’s get one thing straight: this case is not about a missed appointment or a typo on a medical chart. This is about a baby boy named Jacob Reed, who was supposed to be born alive on April 5, 2024. Instead, his parents, Rebecca and Taylor Reed, delivered him still. And according to their lawsuit, that tragedy didn’t just happen—it was preventable. And it may have been caused by a hospital and a doctor who allegedly told a bleeding, anxious, 38-weeks-pregnant woman to go home and wait while her unborn child’s chances slipped away.

So who are we talking about here? Rebecca and Taylor Reed, a couple in Oklahoma County preparing for the arrival of their son—Jacob. By all accounts, this was a wanted, loved, and closely monitored pregnancy. Rebecca had been seeing Dr. Brooke Frantz, an OB-GYN affiliated with Integris Baptist Medical Center, for prenatal care. Everything seemed on track. Then, on March 25, 2024—just ten days before Jacob was scheduled to be induced—Rebecca showed up at the ER with vaginal bleeding and a growing fear that her baby wasn’t moving as much as usual. These are not “wait-and-see” symptoms when you’re nearly full-term. They’re red flags. Big ones. But instead of admitting her, a nurse performed a cervical check, saw she wasn’t dilated enough, and sent her home with instructions: only come back when your contractions are 30 seconds long and less than five minutes apart for at least an hour.

Okay. But here’s the kicker: Rebecca didn’t stop trying. Over the next several days, she called the hospital multiple times, reporting continued bleeding and ongoing concerns about fetal movement. Each time, she was told the same thing: stay home. Don’t worry. Wait for your induction. Then, the next day—March 26—she had a prenatal appointment with Dr. Frantz. The baby’s heartbeat was detected at a healthy 148 bpm (which sounds reassuring, sure), but Rebecca again voiced her worry: the baby hasn’t been moving like before. And what was the medical advice? “Don’t be concerned unless the baby kicks less than ten times in an hour.” That’s it. No additional monitoring. No ultrasound. No admission. Just a shrug and a countdown to April 4.

Now, let’s pause for a second. If you’re nine months pregnant, bleeding, and your baby—who’s been active for months—suddenly goes quiet, being told to “count kicks” feels less like medical guidance and more like spiritual counseling. “Just pray and wait.” But Rebecca did what she was told. She monitored. She felt movement—off and on—until April 3. One day before her induction. Then… nothing.

On April 4, she arrived at Integris Baptist Medical Center for her scheduled labor induction. But the hospital didn’t have a room ready until 11 p.m.—a six-hour delay for a high-risk induction, mind you. When she was finally admitted, the medical team couldn’t find a fetal heartbeat. An ultrasound confirmed the worst: Jacob had died in utero. There was no amniotic fluid. The baby Rebecca had carried for nearly nine months was gone. The next day, she gave birth to him—still.

Now, let’s talk about why they’re in court. Because this isn’t just grief. This is a legal claim built on a very specific argument: negligence. The Reeds aren’t just mourning. They’re alleging that both the hospital (Integris Baptist Medical Center) and Dr. Brooke Frantz failed to meet the basic standard of care expected in medicine. That’s legalese for: you were supposed to know better, and you didn’t act like it. According to the petition, the hospital and doctor had a duty to monitor Rebecca properly, especially given the symptoms—bleeding and decreased movement—both of which are textbook warning signs of potential fetal distress or placental complications. Instead, they allegedly dismissed her concerns, failed to admit her for observation, failed to conduct proper assessments, and ultimately allowed a preventable tragedy to unfold.

The lawsuit claims the hospital was negligent in supervising its staff and failed to ensure proper patient care—basically, that the system broke down. And Dr. Frantz? She’s being sued personally for allegedly failing to recognize risks, failing to act, and failing to keep her patient and unborn child safe. Both are accused of gross neglect, which is a step beyond simple mistakes—it suggests a reckless disregard for patient well-being. And that’s why the Reeds are asking not just for compensation, but for punitive damages, which aren’t about covering costs—they’re about punishment. They’re the legal world’s version of holding up a neon sign that says: this was unacceptable.

So what do they want? $75,000—at minimum. And punitive damages on top. Now, let’s be real: in the grand scheme of medical malpractice lawsuits, $75,000 isn’t a jaw-dropping number. Some settlements reach millions. But this isn’t about the dollar amount. It’s about what that number represents. It’s funeral expenses. It’s therapy. It’s the cost of a lifetime of “what ifs.” It’s the price of a baby blanket that was never warmed by a living child. And yes, it’s also attorney fees, court costs, and the price of trying to hold a powerful hospital and doctor accountable in a system that often protects them. The Reeds aren’t asking for a mansion or a trust fund. They’re asking for recognition that their son’s death wasn’t just fate—it was, they believe, a failure of care.

And here’s our take: the most absurd part isn’t even the delay in admitting her on April 4. It’s the pattern of dismissal. A pregnant woman—bleeding—shows up at the ER. She calls repeatedly. She expresses fear. And every time, the response is: wait. Not “let’s run a non-stress test.” Not “let’s check your fluid levels.” Not “let’s admit you overnight.” Just wait. In 2024. In a hospital. With technology that can monitor a fetus’s heartbeat from a smartphone app. And all of this happens while a baby named Jacob, who had a strong heartbeat just days earlier, quietly slips away—unseen, unmonitored, unhelped.

We’re not doctors. We’re entertainers, not lawyers. We don’t know what the fetal monitoring strips looked like. We weren’t in the delivery room. We can’t say for sure what went wrong medically. But we can say this: when a system tells a mother in distress to go home and wait—again and again—it’s not just a failure of medicine. It’s a failure of empathy. And if that’s what happened here, then this lawsuit isn’t just about money. It’s about demanding better. For Rebecca. For Taylor. For Jacob. And for every other parent who’s ever been told, “Don’t worry,” when they knew—knew—that something was wrong.

We’re rooting for accountability. Not vengeance. Just accountability. Because in the end, a baby deserved to be born alive. And his parents deserved not to bury him.

Case Overview

$75,000 Demand Jury Trial Petition

Jurisdiction

Oklahoma County District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

Joel A. LaCourse, Rebecca J. David, and Colten S. Kidd

LaCourse Law, PLLC

Relief Sought

$75,000 Monetary

$1 Punitive

Plaintiffs

Rebecca Reed and Taylor Reed, individually, and as surviving Parents of Jacob Reed, Deceased individual|government
Rep: Joel A. LaCourse, Rebecca J. David, and Colten S. Kidd, of LaCourse Law, PLLC

Defendants

INTEGRIS BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER, INC. and BROOKE FRANTZ, M.D. business|individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	Negligence	Plaintiffs claim that Defendants were negligent in their care of Rebecca Reed, resulting in the stillbirth of her baby, Jacob Reed.
2	Negligence	Plaintiffs claim that Defendant Brooke Frantz, M.D. was negligent in her care of Rebecca Reed, resulting in the stillbirth of her baby, Jacob Reed.

Petition Text

1,352 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA REBECCA REED and TAYLOR REED, individually, and as surviving Parents of JACOB REED, Deceased, Plaintiffs, vs. INTEGRIS BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER, INC., and BROOKE FRANTZ, M.D., Defendants. PETITION COMES NOW the Plaintiffs, Rebecca Reed and Taylor Reed, individually, and as surviving Parents of Jacob Reed, Deceased, by and through their counsel of record, Joel A. LaCourse, Rebecca J. David, and Colten S. Kidd, of LaCourse Law, PLLC, and hereby state their claims against the Defendants, Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc., and Brooke Frantz, M.D. In support of their causes of action, Plaintiffs hereby allege and state as follows: 1. A. Rebecca Reed presented to Integris Baptist Medical Center Emergency Department ("IBMC") on or about March 25, 2024, with vaginal bleeding and decreased fetal movement. After Nurse Lakrisha Johnson performed a cervical examination, Mrs. Reed was sent home due to her not being dilated enough and her contractions were not close enough. B. After going home Mrs. Reed called IBMC multiple times expressing her concerns about her continued bleeding. She was advised to stay home until her contractions were a certain distance apart or until her scheduled induction on April 4, 2024. C. During Mrs. Reeds' 38-week prenatal appointment on March 26, 2024, the fetal heartbeat was confirmed at 148 beats per minute. She expressed concern to Dr. Frantz that the baby had not been moving as much since the bleeding began. She was advised not to be concerned unless the baby kicked less than 10 times within an hour. She was informed that her 39-week prenatal appointment would be cancelled since her labor induction was scheduled for two days from that appointment. D. During the next few days Mrs. Reed experienced contractions off and on but did not return to the hospital due to her being instructed to return when her contractions lasted 30 seconds and were not further than 5 minutes apart for at least an hour. Her contractions did not meet this criterion. She continued to feel fetal movement until April 3, 2024. E. On April 4, 2024, she was scheduled for induction of labor at 5:00 – 6:00pm. IBMC did not have a room available until 11:00pm, which was when she presented to the hospital. Upon admission, medical personnel were unable to detect a fetal heartbeat. An ultrasound confirmed that the baby had passed away in utero, and there was no amniotic fluid present. On April 5, 2024, she delivered a stillborn baby boy, Jacob Reed. 2. This Court has jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter as the acts complained of herein occurred in Oklahoma County. 3. Defendants provided health care services to Rebecca Reed with reference to her labor and delivery and other medical care and treatment thereby establishing a physician-patient relationship. 4. As a result of the physician-patient relationship between the health care professionals and Rebecca Reed, the Defendants owed Mrs. Reed a duty to use that degree of skill care and learning ordinarily used by members of their respective professions under the same or similar circumstances. FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF COMES NOW the Plaintiffs, and for their First Claim for Relief against Defendant Integris Baptist Medical Center, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “IBMC”), adopts and alleges all of the allegations contained in the preceding and subsequent paragraphs herein, and further alleges and states: 5. Defendant IBMC was in charge of and responsible for medical decision relating to medical care and treatment and exercised supervisory responsibility over the other health care professionals with reference to the health care services provided to Rebecca Reed at that time. 6. Defendant IBMC was negligent in their care of Rebecca Reed and departed from acceptable medical standards of care, including but not limited to: A. failing to properly supervise the actions of the supervising physician(s), nurses and staff to ensure that the actions and treatments by the health care professionals are consistent with the standard of care, i.e.: (1) failing to render appropriate patient care; (2) failing to avoid injury while providing patient care; (3) failing to identify certain risks and reacting appropriately to those risks; (4) failing to admit and monitor the patient (5) failing to properly monitor and assess the patient’s condition; and (6) failing to maintain the health and safety of the patient. 7. Rebecca Reed was in the exclusive care, custody and control of the Defendant at all relevant times concerning the injuries complained of in this Petition, and the injuries Plaintiff suffered would not have occurred but for the negligence of the Defendant. 8. At all relevant times, Defendant’s employees/agents were acting within the course and scope of their employment/agency at the time they negligently handled Rebecca Reed, causing permanent injuries and the untimely death of Jacob Reed. 9. The Defendant is responsible for the acts and/or omissions of their employees and agents at all relevant times concerning the subject injuries. 10. The conduct of the Defendant was callous and wanton in nature, showing gross neglect, entitling Plaintiffs to punitive damages in excess of actual damages. 11. As a direct result of Defendant’s negligence, Jacob Reed suffered physical injuries, loss of chance of survival, an untimely wrongful death, and incurred expenses. Plaintiff’s Rebecca Reed and Talyor Reed, as surviving parents, have incurred expenses and funeral/burial expenses, suffered and will suffer grief and loss of companionship and pecuniary losses for the loss of Jacob Reed in his untimely wrongful death, entitling them to recover damages from these Defendants in excess of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) WHEREFORE, premises considered, Plaintiffs pray that this Court grant them relief in the form of a judgment in their favor and against Defendants, for actual and compensatory damages in excess of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) in actual damages and for punitive damages in excess of actual damages, along with costs, interest, attorney’s fees, and any further relief to which they may be entitled. SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF COMES NOW the Plaintiff’s, and for their Second Claim for Relief against Defendant Brooke Frantz, MD (hereinafter referred to as “Frantz”), adopts and alleges all of the allegations contained in the preceding and subsequent paragraphs herein, and further alleges and states: 12. Defendant Frantz was in charge of and responsible for medical decisions relating to medical care and treatment and exercised supervisory responsibility over the other health care professionals with reference to health care services provided to Rebecca Reed at that time. 13. Defendant Frantz was negligent in her care of Rebecca Reed and departed from acceptable medical standards of care, including but not limited to: A. failing to render appropriate patient care; B. failing to avoid injury while providing patient care; C. failing to identify certain risks and reacting appropriately to those risks; D. failing to admit and monitor the patient; E. failing to properly monitor and assess the patient’s condition; and F. failing to maintain the health and safety of the patient. 14. Rebecca Reed was in the exclusive care, custody and control of the Defendant at all relevant times concerning the injuries complained of in this Petition, and the injuries Plaintiff suffered would not have occurred but for the negligence of the Defendant. 15. The conduct of the Defendant was callous and wanton in nature, showing gross neglect, entitling Plaintiff to punitive damages in excess of actual damages. 16. As a direct result of Defendant’s negligence, Jacob Reed suffered physical injuries, loss of chance of survival, an untimely wrongful death, and incurred expenses. Plaintiff’s Rebecca Reed and Talyor Reed, as surviving parents, have incurred expenses and funeral/burial expenses, suffered and will suffer grief and loss of companionship and pecuniary losses for the loss of Jacob Reed in his untimely wrongful death, entitling them to recover damages from these Defendants in excess of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs pray for judgment against Defendant in excess of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) in actual damages and for punitive damages in excess of actual damages, along with costs, interest, attorney’s fees, and any further relief to which they may be entitled. Respectfully Submitted, LACOURSE LAW, PLLC Joel A. LaCourse, OBA #17082 Rebecca J. David, OBA #32762 Colten S. Kidd, OBA #36695 302 E. Reconciliation Way Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 Telephone: (918) 744-7100 Facsimile: (918) 477-2299 Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Attorneys for Plaintiffs