Childbirth can be one of the most painful and frightening experiences that a woman can go through. It can become even worse when the delivery process results in injury to the mother or the newborn.
It isn’t commonly known, but, of every 1,000 births, six or eight will involve serious birth injury. These injuries can cause a grave, lasting impact on the health of the child and on the mother.
Why Do Birth Injuries Occur?
The reasons birth injuries happen are varied. Sometimes, either the birth canal is too small or the fetus is too large. All births result in some degree of bruising and swelling, but sometimes these can be seriously worsened by negligence or doctor error. One of the serious defects such errors can cause is caput succedaneum, in which the scalp swells abnormally. In other cases, the forceps or vacuum suction that a doctor may use during the birthing process can damage the baby’s head, bones, brain, or nervous system, which can lead to cerebral palsy or jaundice. Some of these injuries can heal over time, but many of them are lifelong conditions.
Some birth injuries are unavoidable, but if one occurs because of doctor negligence, or if a doctor fails to properly diagnose the problem immediately, it is considered malpractice. There are laws in place that allow parents to sue on behalf of their babies for such malpractice. Successful personal injury claims provide compensation for the child’s medical expenses and future treatments, as well as damages for the parent’s physical and mental mistreatment.
If you or a loved one was the victim of a negligent birth injury, you will need an experienced personal injury lawyer to assist you with filing your claim. Call experienced personal injury attorney Nick Ortiz at 850-898-9904 for more information.
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