It’s devastating and frightening when a newborn suffers one of the many types of birth injuries. There may be life-long consequences for the baby and a heavy financial burden for the baby’s parents. However, when a birth injury occurs as a result of a medical professional’s negligence, the family may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit.
There is a high standard of care expected from professionals in the healthcare community. A failure to meet that standard of care can have severe repercussions for the newborn and their family. If you believe your child’s birth injury resulted from medical negligence, contact our experienced birth injury lawyers today.
Common types of birth injuries and conditions
Our legal team has worked with clients whose babies have suffered from various birth injuries. Some common types of birth injuries include:
- Brain damage
- Bleeding between the scalp and skull (cephalohematoma)
- Head trauma
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Facial nerve injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Klumpke’s palsy
- Perinatal asphyxia
- Brachial plexus palsy
- Shoulder dislocation
- Fracture of the collarbone
These injuries can lead to long-lasting consequences for the infant and a world of stress and worry for their parents. The parents will also have to face hospital expenses, treatment, therapy, and special equipment to care for the baby.
Not to mention, parents may also experience pain and suffering and possibly lost wages from missing work to care for their child.
What causes birth injuries in newborns?
When a child suffers a birth injury resulting from medical negligence, there could be a variety of causes. Some common causes include:
Hypoxia:
Hypoxia occurs when a baby’s brain is not receiving enough oxygen. During childbirth, hypoxia can be caused by a damaged or infected placenta or when an umbilical cord gets tangled around the baby’s neck. When hypoxia goes unnoticed or unaddressed, the baby can develop severe disabilities.
Improper forceps use:
Several types of birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, nerve damage to the baby’s neck, and fetal distress, are caused by improper use of forceps. If doctors aren’t extraordinarily careful, their use of forceps could lead to severe injuries.
Delaying a c-section:
When a baby suffers from fetal distress, the doctor will often order an emergency C-section. When a doctor or other medical professional fails to recognize the urgent need for a C-section, their lack of attention may cause injuries to both the infant and mother.
Failure to properly conduct prenatal testing:
Even before a mother heads to the delivery room, a doctor’s negligence to properly conduct prenatal testing means they could miss a serious condition in the fetus that could lead to other injuries.
While giving birth to a child should be one of the happiest days of a parent’s life, it can quickly turn into a traumatic event when a birth injury occurs. There is a wide range of causes of newborn birth injuries; all too often, these injuries happen because of a healthcare provider’s negligence.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Florida Birth Injury Lawyer Today
The experienced Florida birth injury lawyers at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath understand the enduring physical, emotional, and financial trauma that a birth injury causes a newborn and their parents. When a birth injury occurs due to negligence or wrongdoing, the family deserves justice through financial compensation.
Numerous costs come with caring for a child who has suffered a birth injury. Our lawyers can assess your situation and determine whether your doctor or healthcare provider took the necessary steps to protect your child. If not, you may be able to recover damages from a birth injury lawsuit.
Call our experienced lawyers today at 561-655-1990 to schedule a risk-free case evaluation. We look forward to hearing from you!
