Birth Injury Attorneys

With all of the recent advances in prenatal care and technological advances in healthcare, it is surprising to learn that approximately 1 out of every 200 infants born in the U.S. suffers from an injury during birth.  Many of these injuries are minor, but some, such as those that affect the infant’s brain and nervous system, can be devastating.

What’s especially devastating is that many of these serious birth injuries could have been avoided.  Too often, doctors and other healthcare providers are negligent and do not provide the appropriate standard of care during the birth process.  Their negligence can result in serious injuries affecting a baby’s brain, shoulder nerves, or other parts of the body.

As birth injury attorneys experienced in helping Florida families, we know that having a child who has experienced a serious birth injury can affect your whole family for years to come, and we want to help you provide the best care possible.
 

Medical Malpractice and Birth Injuries

Some birth injuries are unavoidable.  However, when a birth injury occurs because of negligence, we want to hold the doctors or other healthcare providers accountable.

Medical negligence or malpractice is avoidable.  It occurs when the care provided is below the standard of care expected in the professional medical community.  Medical negligence that can lead to birth injuries includes:

Inadequate fetal monitoring – Healthcare professionals in the labor room have the training and equipment necessary for detecting problems, such as hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain), and intervening to help prevent possible injury. If your doctor or other member of the labor room team does not notice a problem or does not take prompt, appropriate action to address it and your baby is injured as a result, they could be liable medical malpractice damages.

Delayed C-section – If fetal distress (e.g., a sudden decrease in heart rate, problems with the umbilical cord or placenta, stalled labor, etc.) occurs during labor, an emergency C-section may be necessary. If your doctor and delivery team are not prompt in ordering a C-section when necessary and injuries result because of the delay, they could be liable.

Improper use of extraction methods – When a mother is experiencing delivery issues, her doctor may use a vacuum or forceps to help deliver your infant. When used properly, these methods help the delivery process and prevent oxygen deprivation. However, when used improperly, they can cause serious damage.
 

Cerebral Palsy and Erb’s Palsy

Medical negligence can result in serious birth injuries leading to disorders such as cerebral palsy or erb’s palsy. Cerebral palsy, the most widely known birth injury, can occur when the fetus is deprived of oxygen or experiences brain trauma during delivery.

Infants with the disorder may have a variety of neurological abnormalities that affect their motor skills, coordination, and nervous system. Intensive treatment and care may be needed throughout the child’s lifetime to help with physical and mental challenges.

Erb’s palsy, also known as brachial plexus palsy, may be less debilitating than cerebral palsy, but it is still a serious birth injury. It occurs when an infant’s shoulder nerves are damaged, resulting in symptoms such as a limp, bent arm, inability to move the lower arm or hand, and a weak grip. An infant affected by erb’s palsy may have these effects of nerve damage for the rest of his or her life.
 

Experienced Florida Birth Injury Medical Malpractice Attorneys

If your child has been injured due to neglect during birth, help is available. Our experienced Florida birth injury attorneys can help you obtain the financial compensation you need to provide the best care possible for your child while holding the negligent parties accountable for their negligence.

As experienced Orlando area birth injury lawyers, we can help you recover financial compensation for your child’s medical bills and care, as well as the pain and suffering caused by the birth injury malpractice. We are committed to examining all the details of the negligent medical care that caused the birth injury, including medical records, diagnostics, fetal monitoring records, and record of any birthing tools used, and preparing the strongest case possible for medical malpractice.

Call us at 888.818.1439 or submit our FREE Case Evaluation form online for a no obligation consultation with one of our experienced birth injury attorneys.  Let us put our knowledge of the law and experience in the courtroom to work for you and your family.