Birth Injury Lawyers
Medical professionals are accountable to provide high-quality medical treatment during labor and delivery and preventing injuries. Families are placed under a great deal of financial and emotional stress when medical professionals fail to provide top-quality treatment.
A skilled birth injury lawyer can help families get compensation for damages like medical expenses as well as lost income, pain and suffering, and disability. They may also be eligible for lifetime payments through medical indemnity insurance funds that doctors and hospitals contribute to in order to decrease the cost of malpractice.
Spinal cord injuries to the spinal cord
The spinal cord runs through the middle of your spine and transmits messages between your brain and the rest of your body. It is damaged by a number of different ways, affecting the ability to feel or move in the areas below where the injury occurred. The severity of symptoms will depend on the part of the spinal cord that is damaged and the location in your back or neck.
Many spinal cord injuries are triggered by traumatic events, such as car accidents or sports injuries. However, they may also be caused by other causes that are not traumatic, such as tumors, infection or degenerative illness, as well as internal conditions like epidural hematomas or abscesses. Many people with spinal cord injuries also struggle with stigma and discrimination, as well as negative attitudes toward those who are disabled. Accident Injury Lawyers can result in your child not being able to access assistance and treatment services.
Children with spinal cord injuries usually require surgery and rehabilitation to regain movement, learn to control their bladder and bowels, and improve their lives. They may also need help with everyday tasks like dressing, bathing and eating. They might need to learn new communication skills and strategies to manage emotions such as fear, sadness or anger. They may also need to master the use of equipment and exercise to help them move around.
A person who has an injury to the spinal cord may require learning how to live in a house with accessibility features, including ramps and wide doors. They might also have to learn to operate a motorized chair which is costly and requires regular maintenance. They may have to find ways to communicate with their friends and family members who are not familiar with disabilities. They might also need to understand how to handle sexuality, relationships and manage their finances.
The treatment of a spinal cord injury is expensive, and it is even more expensive for children. This is particularly true if the injury occurs in the neck region, because it can affect your child's arms and breathing muscles.
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a complication that can last a lifetime. It is caused when the parts of the brain are damaged during the development in the womb, or soon after birth. It can cause problems with movement, posture and balance. You can manage your symptoms to improve your quality of life. There is no cure for CP, but you can take steps to manage it. Certain people with CP can walk, while others may require wheelchairs or walker. The severity of CP can also vary.
The reason for CP can be hard to pinpoint. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including an infection in the fetus that hinders growth, the lack of oxygen during labor and delivery or a brain injury triggered by a motor vehicle accident. However, the majority of cases are classified as congenital, meaning that the injury occurred during your time in the mother's womb or shortly following birth.
The signs of the condition may include stiff muscles that cause your legs and arms seem to be floppy (spasticity). You may have difficulty controlling your movements, or walk with a lack of stability. You might drool more frequently if have issues with your face and tongue muscles (dystonia).
Certain symptoms are slightly different, however a doctor may be able to diagnose you with cerebral palsy based on the severity of the symptoms and the way they affect your daily activities. There are several types of CP, such as dyskinetic, spastic, mixed or hemiplegic. Hemiplegia is the term used to describe CP that only affects the body's one side. Quadriplegia is the term used to describe the condition that affects both sides of your body.
If you believe your child's CP is the result of mistakes made by a doctor during labor, pregnancy, delivery or shortly after birth, you should speak with a lawyer. You may be eligible for financial compensation which could cover medical treatment and other support services. The team at Lavender Law Firm is happy to review your case for no cost and provide additional information. Contact us now to learn more about how we can help. We provide services to clients across the country.
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
This condition, sometimes referred to as perinatal asphyxia, can result from a decreased flow of blood to the brain of the baby. It usually occurs in difficult births, particularly when the mother is suffering from preeclampsia or other serious medical conditions. HIE can lead to a variety of complications, like seizures, brain damage or impaired mental development. A successful HIE suit can award compensation to the family for future medical costs as well as treatment and therapy as well as pain and discomfort.
A good birth injury lawyer is able to build a strong case by obtaining medical records and identifying the doctor or nurses who could be responsible, and hiring experts to give an opinion regarding whether there was malpractice. Your lawyer could file a lawsuit against them to recover damages that compensate your child for the harm and loss of quality of life.
The majority of cases of HIE occur during difficult births or as a result of being revived during the delivery. A medical professional might suspect your child has this condition if their Apgar score is low and they exhibit other signs such as a slow heart rate or irritated skin. They should test your baby for HIE with a computerized tomography (CT) scan, electrocardiogram, or electroencephalography to check the electrical activity of their brain and look for signs of swelling.
HIE that occurs in the first 72 hours after birth is most treatable but it can have lasting effects like cognitive problems and motor delays. A lawyer can help you get financial compensation for future medical expenses, therapy costs for treatment, adaptive equipment and other home improvements that will improve your child's quality life.
It is impossible to say precisely what a competent birth injury lawyer will charge for their services, since fees depend on the severity of your case, as well as other aspects. The majority of lawyers will be willing to share their experience with similar cases, as well as the settlements or verdicts that they have obtained on behalf of clients. These numbers can be useful in determining what your case could be worth.
Other birth injuries that can be prevented
Nurses and doctors who treat newborns and pregnant women are legally required to follow certain standards of care. If they do not adhere to this standard, and a baby is injured as a result of their failure it could be deemed medical malpractice or negligence. A lot of these injuries can be prevented, and it's important that parents have the resources they need to pursue justice against the people responsible for their actions.
It is important to consult a knowledgeable birth injuries lawyer when a birth injury occurs. They will go over the evidence, gather medical records, and make an action. They will also consult with medical experts to determine whether the doctor, the nurse or the hospital behaved in a reasonable way under the circumstances. This process can be time consuming, but it is vital to obtaining the compensation a family requires and deserves.
Birth injuries to children could cause ongoing medical expenses for the rest of their lives and loss of opportunities that could transform their lives. A lawsuit against the hospital, doctors and nurses who are responsible for your child's injury will help you obtain the money you need to ensure their future.
Medical negligence claims are subject to a statute of limitations. This usually takes place two years following the injury or the injury is discovered. A birth injury lawyer will assist you in determining the statute of limitation for your particular case, and ensure that you have met the deadlines for protecting your rights.
Most hospitals and medical providers have malpractice insurance, which protects against claims arising from their negligence or failure to act in the course of labor or delivery. A skilled injury lawyer will write to the medical professional and their malpractice insurers, notifying them that you've hired a birth injury lawyer and that a negligence claim is being investigated.
After the doctor or hospital has received this notice, they will have the opportunity to respond to the claim and offer a defense. In most instances, a doctor hospital will try to reach a settlement to avoid a court trial. However, in some instances, they might refuse to negotiate and argue against you getting a fair settlement. In these instances, an experienced birth injury lawyer could file a lawsuit to put pressure on the medical practitioner and their insurers to make a reasonable settlement offer.