FREEHOLD BOROUGH — The family of a teen who suffered a brain injury as a result of treatment at a Monmouth County hospital was awarded $17 million by a jury.

The New Jersey Law Journal reports that the verdict for Kelsey Heaney and her parents included $10 million for medical expenses.

The lawsuit against Jersey Shore University Medical Center and a doctor claimed the then-7-year-old was taken off a breathing tube too soon after surgery for pneumonia, according to the report.

Leapfrog, a nonprofit healthcare watchdog, awarded the Neptune Township hospital a safety grade of B this fall, an improvement from a C grade in the spring of 2016. The hospital received A grades through 2014 and 2015.

When it comes to the Leapfrog's surgery scores, the hospital performs below average on making sure surgical wounds don't split open, and preventing accidental cuts or tears and breathing problems. The hospital also had low marks for how well patients believe doctors explained information.

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