Legal Actions for Birth Injuries
According to national statistics, approximately six out of every 1,000 births result in birth injuries to the baby. As a birth injury lawyer can explain, the majority of these injuries are preventable.
What Is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury is any injury suffered by the infant that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. There are a number of ways birth injuries can occur, including delayed birth, failure to recognize fetal distress during delivery, and aggressive birthing methods. If a doctor or other medical professional fails to provide the same standard of care or act with the same protocols that another professional would in similar circumstances, they may be deemed negligent for any injuries that result.
When this occurs, the victim can pursue a lawsuit for damages the injuries have caused. This type of legal action can be filed against an obstetrician, nurse, anesthesiologist, pediatrician, or any other medical professional whose negligence caused the birth injury.
While many people typically assume most birth injury lawsuits are filed against the doctor who delivers the baby, there are also a number of cases where it is a nurse or other medical professional involved in the birthing process who acted negligently. If this action caused the birth injury, they can be held liable for this tragedy.
One example of how a nurse’s negligence could contribute to a birthing injury is if he or she administers the wrong medication or an incorrect dosage of medication to either the mother or the infant. Pitocin is a common drug that it administered to women during labor as a way to induce contractions. If too much of the drug is given to the mother, it can be dangerous and result in serious injury to the mother and/or the infant and even cause fatalities.
Types of Birth Injuries
There are a variety of ways an infant can suffer injuries during the birthing process. Some of the most common that a birth injury lawyer handles include:
- Brachial palsy
- Bruising on the head or face
- Caput succedaneum (swelling under the scalp)
- Cephalhematoma (bleeding under the scalp)
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Facial paralysis
- Forceps marks
- Fractures to collar bone or arms
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage
Some of these birth injuries will eventually heal on their own or with minimal medical care. Other birth injuries will last a lifetime and result in a life of pain, health problems, and diminished life potential.
Contact a Personal Injury Law Firm Today
If your infant has suffered a birth injury because of the negligence of a medical professional, contact a personal injury law firm to discuss your legal options may be. Your family may be entitled to financial compensation for both the pending and future medical expenses for the care of your child, as well as pain and suffering, permanent disability, future care expenses, and more.