Birth Injuries Caused by Delivery Errors

ShelbyW
September 17, 2012

Having a new baby is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but for some parents, the experience becomes one that is filled with anguish and sadness due to delivery errors. While medical staff in the delivery room is often highly skilled and trained professionals, accidents can happen, and when they do, they can lead to a lifetime of struggle for both the parents and the child.

Deliver Errors

Because delivering a child is a complex procedure, there are a multitude of delivery errors that can occur. Some of the most common delivery errors include incorrect medications being administered, incorrect dosing and improper induction of labor. Additionally, improper monitoring of the mother before, during and after delivery can often lead to complications, including dangerously high blood pressure.

Birth Injuries

When delivery errors occur, they often lead to birth injuries. Some common birth injuries that a child may suffer include respiratory problems, brain damage and cerebral palsy. These problems can be acute or chronic, and in some cases, they can alter the course of a child’s life forever. Children who suffer from severe birth injuries may need lifelong care in a nursing facility, or they may require expensive medications for the rest of their lives.

What Can Be Done?

According to information at www.howellandchristmas.com, many parents who have experienced a delivery error are due compensation, but getting that compensation can be difficult to do on your own. In many cases, negligent doctors may try to cover up their mistakes, and unless you’re a medical expert, you may not even know what to look for when trying to prove negligence. In addition, hospitals, doctors and insurance companies may try to make it difficult for affected parents to seek compensation, and many will use high-pressure tactics to intimidate a family into giving up on their quest for fair compensation.

A Birth Injury Attorney Can Help

In situations where parents are unable to seek fair compensation on their own, it’s usually advisable to seek out the services of a birth injury attorney. A birth injury attorney can meet with you to discuss your case, examine the evidence and present your case before a judge and possibly a jury if need be. An attorney can also get in between you and any medical personnel or insurance companies involved in your case, meaning you won’t have to deal with these entities directly. Most birth injury attorneys also partner with medical experts to examine any evidence in the case in order to show negligence.

In order to avoid a birth injury caused by a delivery error, it’s important that expectant parents consider a variety of delivery services before the big day. This may include speaking with various doctors, visiting multiple hospitals and doing extensive research on any doctors that they’re interested in. In doing this, parents can get a better feel for who they will trust with such an important event. Parents may also want to contact their insurance company before the delivery to ensure that they will be covered in the event of a delivery error. If the insurance company is unable to offer a plan to cover the potential for birth injuries, parents should consider finding an agency that will.

Shelby Warden is a legal researcher and contributing writer for the personal injury firm of Howell and Christmas located in South Carolina. If you have questions about a birth injury in South Carolina, visit www.howellandchristmas.com and click on “Ask a lawyer” to have your questions answered. These Charleston birth injury and trauma attorneys would like to help you through this difficult time.