Birth Injuries & How To Seek Compensation
Whether a birth trauma occurs before, during or after delivery of a child, the sadness and worry about the future experienced by parents who learn of the injury or another permanently disabling condition can be difficult to contemplate. In many cases, brain injuries such as cerebral palsy are common and can be incredibly devastating. When a doctor or hospital makes a mistake or they are negligent, they should be held responsible for their neglect and for their actions. The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm, LLC, can help you do this.
Many birth injuries – including head traumas, and damage to nerves, tissue and organs
because of oxygen deprivation and force – are often caused by a doctor’s or nurse’s
negligence during the birthing process. At The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm, LLC, we will review your prenatal records, delivery records, other applicable medical records, fetal monitor strips and ultrasound results.
Our attorneys routinely partner with some of the nation’s leading birth injury medical experts to present and prove our cases. These experts will help us decide whether you have a case and how to help us win your case.
We are proud of our results, which include an $8.5 million-dollar birth injury jury verdict. We are committed to helping cerebral palsy patients recover compensation for their losses.
Common Causes Of Birth Injuries
You may have a case if your child’s birth injuries are due to a lack of oxygen (asphyxia or
hypoxia), the improper use of forceps, the improper use of vacuum or a delay in performing
a caesarian section:
Asphyxia or hypoxia
Although the two medical terms are distinctly different, the terms are both related to the
fundamental loss or obstruction of oxygen before, during or immediately after birth. Because of these processes, the infant’s body develops an “oxygen debt,” which can lead to tissue and organ damage. Asphyxia/Hypoxia during child birth can be caused by a tangled umbilical cord, infection or damage to the placenta. If hypoxia is not quickly addressed, the child can develop chronic mental and physical disabilities.
Forceps
Forceps are metal clamps that are used during the delivery process to reorient or put the baby in the correct position for delivery. If the forceps are not placed correctly on the baby’s head or they are used at an inappropriate time during the delivery process, these medical devices may cause serious head, neck and brain injuries that can lead to disabling conditions such as Erb’s Palsy. If your doctor misused forceps during the delivery process and their negligence resulted in serious injuries to your baby, you may be entitled to compensation.
Vacuum
Vacuum extractors are used during the delivery process to help move the baby through the birth canal. While usually considered safe, if used incorrectly, a vacuum extractor can cause serious swelling or bleeding between the baby’s skull and scalp. If your doctor was careless or poorly trained and that resulted in brain injuries, severe disabilities or even death during a vacuum extraction, you may have a case for negligence, and you may seek compensation for your child’s injuries or wrongful death.
Delay of caesarian section
Emergency caesarian sections (C-section) are generally ordered in cases where the child is suffering from fetal distress, which can be caused by a myriad of reasons. If the delivery team fails to pay attention to obvious warning signs and as such, they fail to properly recommend a C-section or the doctor waits too long to perform surgery, a bad outcome can occur unnecessarily. Negligent errors in these cases may constitute malpractice and as such, a doctor, nurse or hospital may be held liable, particularly if the delay resulted in injuries to the child.
If your child was injured at birth because of your doctor’s negligence, you may be able to file a birth injury claim.
Contact Our Lawyers Today
Do you have questions? At The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm, LLC, we have a track record of success. To learn how our birth injury attorneys could help your family, fill out our contact form or call us today at 216-861-8888 or 877-977-3476 (toll-free). Se habla español.