A birth injury is one suffered by a child during labor or delivery or soon after birth. Birth injuries may range from minor problems such as lacerations or bruising to severe injuries that could prove fatal. Often, there are many preventable birth injuries.

About Birth Injuries

A birth injury is not a birth defect. A birth defect is a health problem that usually is DNA related. Some examples are Down Syndrome, a cleft palate or even a heart murmur. Sometimes birth defects derive from outside factors like taking SSRIs during pregnancy. A birth injury is one suffered by a child during labor or delivery or soon after birth. Birth injuries may range from minor problems such as lacerations or bruising to severe injuries that could prove fatal. These injuries can derive from medical staff making mistakes that harm your child. These mistakes could hurt him or her for their entire life. These mistakes could happen for a variety of reasons, including inattentiveness, exhaustion, or inexperience. Researchers have pinpointed other causes of increased birth injuries.

Common Preventable Birth Injuries

The most common preventable birth injuries are facial paralysis, brachial palsy, and cerebral palsy. Facial paralysis happens through pressure on a baby’s face during labor. A doctor should notice this when the baby is crying. Usually, there is no movement on the side of the face. A quick response to surgery needs to happen to fix the injury. An injury to the brachial plexus causes brachial palsy. The section of nerves that supply movement and feeling to the arms and hands stop. Without quick intervention, a child could suffer permanent damage. Finally, cerebral palsy happens from a physician who fails to detect or treat infections during pregnancy, order a cesarean section or correctly use tools during labor. Then, a child has permanent brain damage.

Steps after Preventable Birth Injuries

If you suspect that your child or children are suffering from preventable birth injuries, many first raise concerns to the hospital directly. However, this usually leads the family to feel unsupported. Hospitals will protect themselves first and not the patient. The legal route is usually next. A knowledgeable attorney can give the support needed to combat the issues with preventable birth injuries.
Families facing this horrible experience are exhausted. They are usually traumatized, anxious, angry and have no idea how to financially cope.

Hold Doctors Liable for Increased Birth Injuries

The court can hold medical professionals liable for their negligence. Many states prove medical malpractice by a medical professional breached the standard of care. Therefore, they cause harm to their patient. Standard of care means the acceptable procedures and practices within the profession and geographic area.
Birth injuries are also costly. You could receive compensation for your baby’s injuries. This includes medical care, hospital visits, medication, physical therapy, special-needs equipment and education, counseling, psychological services, and pain and suffering. In many states, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims is two years from the date of the injury or from the date when the patient knew or should have known that the injury occurred. This is why it is important to act quickly and chose a knowledgeable complex litigation attorney.
Therefore, it is important to remember that if your child’s birth injuries are a result of medical negligence and carelessness, the medical staff, hospital, and/or physician may be liable for damages. A complex litigation attorney can help. At The Michael Brady Lynch Firm, our lawyers have decades of experience helping injured people get justice and full compensation for injuries caused by negligence. The Michel Brady Lynch Firm regularly takes on the largest corporations in the world with a track record of proven success and results. Contact The Michael Brady Lynch Firm today, and our attorneys will review your case for free and help you protect your rights. Therefore, for your complimentary consultation, call our office now.