Birth Injuries
Birth injuries usually occur during the actual birthing process but can also be caused by negligence during pregnancy. If you suffer from such a devastating personal injury, you should not also have to suffer through a legal battle as well. Sullivan and Sullivan LLP will fight for you and seek the highest compensation. Contact us immediately for a free case evaluation. We will provide a translator if you need one.
Some babies are born with congenital disabilities that developed during pregnancy and cannot be prevented. Birth injuries are often the result of trauma during the delivery process. They vary from minor injuries that are temporary and involve a short hospital stay to long-term or permanent medical conditions that require ongoing care.
Common preventable birth injuries Include:
– Cerebral Palsy
– Brachial Plexus injuries
– Clavicle Fractures
– Erb’s Palsy
– Fetal Lacerations
– Caput Succedaneum
– Horner’s Syndrome
– Oxygen Deprivation
– Seizures
– Infant Fatality
Birth injuries don’t always stem from negligence. Labor and delivery are prone to complications, with no two mothers having the same experience. All medical care providers involved in the birth should be prepared to handle foreseeable issues with the health and safety of mother and child in mind. A birth injury can result in a malpractice lawsuit when the care provider fails to fulfill his or her duties, resulting in mistakes and preventable injuries. Common causes of negligence-related birth injuries are as follows:
– Doctor errors. Negligent physicians and obstetricians are those who fail to uphold the standards required of medical professionals. Doctor errors can take the form of incompetence, failure to prepare for a procedure, failure to monitor the mother and fetal vital signs, failure to order an emergency cesarean section, and misuse of birth-assisting tools. Doctor errors can result in birth injuries such as broken bones in the infant, or lack of oxygen to the brain from failure to monitor oxygen intake.
– Delivery errors. Mistakes, negligence, and carelessness during the delivery of a child can come from doctors, nurses, and any other professional on the scene. There are many examples of delivery errors, from pulling the baby’s arm and causing shoulder dystocia to causing brain injuries from failing to monitor vital signs. Delivery errors can have long-lasting ramifications for the infant.
– Forceps or vacuum trauma. If a physician needs to use birth-assisting tools during delivery to aid the baby through the birth canal, he or she must do so with the utmost care. These tools can help with arduous labors or unusual birth positions, but they can also cause serious injuries. Improper use of forceps can fracture the skull and cause other types of birth trauma. Vacuum extraction could cause bleeding in the skull or brain damage from strong suction. It also increases the risk of shoulders getting stuck in the birth canal, and injuries such as broken collarbones.
– Physician errors pose risks not only to babies – but mothers can also suffer injuries such as tears, hemorrhaging, and psychological trauma. After any type of birth injury, be sure to consult with an attorney as soon as possible. A personal injury lawyer can help you determine whether or not one or more parties were negligent during labor and delivery, contributing to you or your child’s injuries. The team at Sullivan and Sullivan LLP can review your case for free in New York to discuss any legal options.
If you or someone you know in New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island (Nassau/Suffolk County), needs the assistance of experienced birth injury attorneys, contact Sullivan and Sullivan LLP to schedule your free consultation. The sooner you call the higher your compensation can be.
If you or someone you love found themselves in that position, would you not want a dedicated team of legal professionals to fight as hard as they can to help you recover damages?