It never ceases to amaze and disappoint us how poorly doctors and hospital‑staff communicate with patients, especially after an unexpected and tragic event like a severe birth injury. Many of our clients came to us for help because they were not getting straight answers, and in some cases no answers at all. We understand your frustration in simply wanting to know whether your baby’s injury was caused by a preventable mistake (i.e., medical malpractice) or by one of life’s natural results. We successfully answer that question for many parents, and will answer it for you, too.
Perhaps one of these birth injuries or birth traumas is familiar to you. If you or someone close to you suffered a difficult labor and delivery resulting in injury to your newborn child, it is important to act quickly to preserve evidence. The only way to determine whether injury was avoidable is to have prenatal, delivery, and newborn medical care reviewed by professionals who understand the complex medicine between mother and fetus during gestation, stresses the infant undergoes during birth, effects of those stresses, adjusting to life outside the womb, and responses to stresses and factors of the environment.
At Buchanan & Buchanan, our combined legal-medical team has decades of experience handling medical malpractice cases, including cases involving birth injury and birth trauma. We have experienced medical professionals on staff to talk with you and review your claim. We quickly and efficiently assess the medical facts and take immediate action to protect your child’s rights and when malpractice is found, fight to secure fair and just compensation for the harms and losses.
For every 1,000 babies born in the United States, six will suffer a birth injury or birth trauma. That amounts to approximately 2 million birth injuries each year in the United States. Some injuries resolve quickly or are easily treatable, while other birth injuries are more serious and can result in developmental delays or neurological deficiencies that can be life-altering. Carrying and delivering a baby is a delicate process and complications can occur from a number of factors. Though there are many possible causes of birth injury, the following are some more common identifiable causes or contributing factors:
It is important to realize that birth injury occurs even without malpractice, under the best possible medical care, where there was nothing that should have or could have been done by the health care providers to avoid injury. Unfortunately, some birth injuries are a result of errors by healthcare professionals. In many cases a birth injury could have been prevented altogether (or it may have been made considerably less severe) if timely and appropriate intervention by health care providers had occurred. Common mistakes by healthcare professionals that result in birth injury or are contributing factors to the severity of injuries include, without limitation:
When birth injury or birth trauma occurs, unfortunately, there is risk of long-term, permanent, and life-changing medical issues for the baby. In severe cases, the child will experience developmental disorders, brain damage, or nerve damage. Some common, serious, and long-term medical issues that result from birth injury or birth trauma include: