Birth Injuries
The birth of a baby should be the happiest time in a parent’s life. Sadly for some, a difficult or traumatic birth can have lifelong consequences for both the child and family. According to the National Healthcare Quality Report, “6.68 birth trauma injuries occurred per 1,000 live births in the US 2000.” * Some of these birth injuries are unavoidable, but some are caused by the negligence of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff members.
In some cases of negligence, doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, EMTs, midwives and other medical providers can make medical judgments and decisions that do not meet the expected standard of medical care. Medical caregivers may sometimes act recklessly, unsympathetically, or be impaired by drugs, alcohol or lack of sleep.
Infants can suffer brain and nerve injuries when doctors make mistakes during delivery. Such injuries require lifelong care and special medical treatment. Taking care of a loved one and being able to provide ongoing care in perpetuity are major financial burdens for families of injured infants.
A serious birth injury is emotionally devastating for parents. When a baby is born with birth-related trauma, it is important to find the cause so that other families may be spared similar injuries in the future. But frustrated and saddened parents are ill prepared to deal with uncooperative medical staff who may wish to deny or hide the mistake. Such an investigation requires a disinterested party who can approach the problem with a clear mind.
Our experienced birth injury malpractice attorneys know how to investigate and pinpoint the cause of birth injuries. We can help your family recover compensation for many types of birth injuries, including:
- Cerebral Palsy
- Severe Brain Damage
- Bone fractures
- Erb’s Palsy, Brachial Plexus Palsy
- PBL, destruction of white matter in the brain
- Paralysis (to some or all of the extremities such as arms or legs)
- Fetal Distress
- Anesthesia Errors (to Mother or neonate)
- Baby Asphyxiation
- Delivery Delay
- Developmental Delay
- Hypoxia and Anoxia
- Hospital Infections
- Fetal Macrosomia
- Spastic Quadriparesis
- Surgical Delay
- C-Section (Failure to perform in a prompt manner)
- Bi-lateral Blindness
- Retardation
- Paralysis of Limb
- Group B Strep
- Retinopathy of Prematurity
- Vaginal Breech Delivery
- Birth Injuries to the Mother
- Encephalopathy
- Anoxic Encephalopathy
- Brain Infarct
- Hypoxic Ischemia
- Periventricular Leukomalacia
Contact Shapiro Law Group
If your child has suffered a birth injury and you suspect that its cause is medical malpractice, contact the Shapiro Law Group for answers to your questions. We’re here to help you recover compensation that can provide for your injured child’s ongoing medical needs.
source: *National Healthcare Quality Report, AHRQ, DHHS, 2003
