How Medical Malpractice Leads To Birth Injuries
Negligence Can Result In Permanent Injury To Baby
Posted: 02/09/2012
Last Updated:
273 days ago
By Ed Greenberger, THELAW.TV
For most parents, the birth of a baby is one of the greatest days of their lives. But when something goes wrong during delivery, it can become the beginning of a nightmare that no parent or child should have to experience.
Statistics show that six out of every 1,000 babies born in the United States suffer some form of birth injury. Those injuries can be mild, such as a scratch or a bruise, or they can be severe. Some examples of common birth injuries include:
Some of these injuries cant be prevented, but other birth injuries are the result of medical malpractice. These cases the result of negligence on the part of a doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist or paramedic happen more often than most health practitioners would like to admit.
"Unfortunately, negligence is all too common during delivery, says attorney Martin Sweet of legal information website IndyLaw.tv. "There are a number of things that can cause birth injuries, ranging from the improper use of forceps or drugs to a failure to conduct a timely C-section."
In May 2011, a Connecticut family was awarded $58 million after a jury ruled that their obstetrician made several errors during their sons delivery in 2003. The familys attorney argued that the baby should have been delivered two days before he actually was, when the mothers embryonic fluid experienced a significant decline. The son now suffers from a serious form of cerebral palsy and will not be able to perform many daily functions on his own throughout his entire life.
"If you believe your child was injured during delivery as the result of negligence or medical malpractice, you should contact a medical malpractice lawyer immediately because you could be entitled to compensation," adds Sweet.
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