The birth of a child is a beautiful thing, but some birth stories involve trauma. Sometimes, infants experience birth injuries due to the medical malpractice of the healthcare professionals involved in the birthing process. Common birth injuries include cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, profound brain injury, compromised organ function, and stillbirth or neonatal death. Such birth injuries are often caused by the lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain, and this lack of oxygen may be linked to poor choices made by the medical staff overseeing the birth. Signs of birth injuries may surface immediately after birth, but many birth injuries become apparent when the child starts to miss important developmental milestones. If your child shows signs of birth injuries, you should speak with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to discuss the details of your case.
Birth injuries seriously impact the quality of life of the children involved, and any healthcare professionals who committed medical malpractice should be held liable for causing such injuries. The Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP handles birth injury medical malpractice cases with care and compassion because we understand how difficult life can be when your child suffers from a birth injury. Our experienced team of medical malpractice lawyers knows how to fight for the compensation you deserve.
What Are Birth Injuries?
A birth injury is physical damage to an infant’s body during or shortly after birth. Birth injuries often result from a lack of oxygen to the infant’s brain. For example, when a medical professional fails to diagnose or respond quickly enough to fetal distress, this lack of oxygen can occur. Additionally, medical professionals may fail to respond to maternal bleeding, delay in performing a C-section, or misuse forceps or a vacuum when assisting with the birth.
Common birth injuries include cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, profound brain injury, compromised organ function, and stillbirth or neonatal death. Cerebral palsy affects a child’s balance, posture, and ability to walk, and it is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain or head trauma during birth. Erb’s palsy involves a loss of function in the entire arm due to nerve damage during birth. There is a variety of birth injuries and their causes, but the lack of oxygen to the brain is one of the most common (and can be one of the most severe) causes. The more oxygen that is deprived from the brain, the more likely that the child will suffer a profound brain injury.
When to Speak With a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
All parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of birth injuries. Signs of birth injuries may surface immediately after birth (i.e., skull fractures, seizures, difficulty swallowing, weak or nonexistent reflexes, or excessive drooling), but many birth injuries become apparent when the child starts to miss important developmental milestones (i.e., crawling, pushing up, or sitting up unassisted). If your child shows signs of birth injuries, you should speak with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. You may be able to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against the parties who are responsible for your child’s birth injury.
In a medical malpractice lawsuit, you may be able to recover damages from the responsible parties. A skilled attorney will investigate the facts of your case and offer guidance on what compensation you can and cannot pursue. For example, you may be able to recover damages for the child’s past, present, and future medical bills, specialized care, other accommodations needed, and lost earning potential. Your ability to recover damages in a medical malpractice case will depend on the facts of your case. That is why you need a trusted legal team who will leave no stone unturned when it comes to fighting for you and your child in a medical malpractice case.
Contact the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP to Discuss Your Medical Malpractice Case for Birth Injuries
Birth injuries can be traumatic and life-altering. When such injuries are caused by the medical malpractice of others, the responsible parties should be held liable for their actions. If your child suffered a birth injury, you may be able to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against the healthcare professionals who caused the injury. You should not hesitate to reach out to a medical malpractice lawyer for guidance if you begin to notice signs of a birth injury as your child develops. Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers are ready to discuss your case, and we want to fight for you.
The Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP has a hard-working team of medical malpractice lawyers who care about helping families like yours. To schedule a free consultation with a member of our team, you can call (516) 358-6900 or fill out our contact form.
