The birth of a newborn should be a joyous occasion. But too often, complications that could have been prevented cause the joy of childbirth to be filled with worry and sadness. Even here in the hospitals of Cincinnati, OH, medical malpractice can occur whenever a doctor fails to meet the standard of care required of the situation.
Focused, hands-on medical care is of utmost importance during pregnancy, the labor and delivery process, and post-delivery monitoring periods. If the negligence of a healthcare practitioner caused your newborn infant to sustain birth injuries, a Cincinnati birth injury lawyer from Thomas Law Offices can help you secure your child’s future.
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How Our Cincinnati Birth Injury Attorneys Can Help You
At Thomas Law Offices, we prioritize the needs of families. Our experienced Cincinnati birth injury lawyers represent parents who have wrongfully suffered the effects of medical negligence.
Can I Sue a Doctor in Ohio for a Birth Injury?
In personal injury law, a birth injury is classified under the legal area of medical malpractice. This area of the law holds medical professionals accountable for preventable injuries resulting from careless or harmful actions. In Ohio, you have the ability to seek justice for your child’s injuries through a birth injury claim or birth injury lawsuit.
Our law firm will advocate for you throughout the legal process. We’ll use our decades of experience as personal injury attorneys to help you recover compensation. On your family’s behalf, our birth injury lawyers will:
- Provide you with a free consultation to discuss your legal rights
- Give your medical malpractice claim the highest value
- Examine the actions of the medical professional who harmed you to establish negligence
- Partner with a skilled medical expert who can provide an affidavit of merit to give you grounds to pursue legal action under Ohio law
- File all necessary legal documentation and other forms in a timely manner
- Negotiate with the hospital’s insurance company to obtain the maximum amount of compensation you deserve
How Much Is a Birth Injury Claim Worth?
There’s no simple answer to this question, but our birth injury attorneys will value your claim based on the unique circumstances of your case. We’ll take all current and future economic and non-economic losses into consideration, including:
- Medical bills and future cost of care for your child’s needs,
- Lost income,
- Emotional anguish,
- Pain and suffering,
- Permanent disability or disfigurement,
- Out-of-pocket expenses,
- And more.
How Do Birth Injuries Occur?
Birth injuries are much different from birth defects (those which are caused by genetic or other factors and cannot be prevented). A birth injury is preventable.
Because it results from a mistake or oversight, this type of injury is caused by medical malpractice. Some of the most common causes of birthing complications are related to:
Medical Issues With the Mother or Fetus During Pregnancy
Many types of pregnancy complications occur because doctors don’t watch carefully for medical issues like:
- High blood pressure
- Gestational diabetes
- Preeclampsia or eclampsia
- HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets) syndrome
- Disease or infection
- Anemia
- Breech position
- Preterm labor
- Placental abruption
These conditions can be treated and monitored if detected. But if they go unaddressed, they can severely harm or even kill a fetus or mother.
Causes of Preventable Complications During Birth
Even after a smooth pregnancy, an injury to the child can occur during labor and delivery. This may be due to:
- A failure to monitor vital signs
- Miscommunication among medical staff
- Improper use of tools like forceps and vacuums
- A delayed C-section
- Rough handling of the baby during the birthing process
The Most Common Types of Birth Injuries
Your attorney will collaborate with a skilled medical expert to determine the type of injury that led to your infant’s injury, illness, or wrongful death. Common birth injuries include:
Forceps and Vacuum Extraction Injuries
The improper use of forceps can cause trauma to the baby’s head, face, or eyes. Similarly, severe head injuries and skull fractures can result from inappropriate vacuum use.
Brachial Plexus Injuries
When the brachial plexus nerves are damaged during delivery, the baby’s upper arm can be injured. A common form of this is Erb’s palsy. While many babies can recover with physical therapy, some children may be left with lifelong impairments.
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
This dangerous condition is a lack of oxygen to the brain. Not getting enough oxygen can be caused by a number of factors, but it is always critical. Permanent brain damage can result from oxygen deprivation, and the more sustained, the more severe.
Cerebral Palsy
Whether the baby suffered an injury before or during birth, brain damage can lead to issues like cerebral palsy. This disorder can cause issues such as loss of motor function and muscle control. Those with CP may require special equipment and lifelong care.
Shoulder Dystocia
Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s shoulders become stuck during vaginal delivery. If a mother has a narrow pelvis or is carrying a baby of large birth weight, the risk is high that the child will be injured during birth. Doctors need to recognize these factors and work to prevent these types of injuries.
Spinal Cord Injuries
If a doctor pulls on the child’s neck, uses too much force, or twists or yanks the child during delivery, an infant can suffer a spinal cord birth injury.
How Can You Prove That Birth Injuries Were Caused by Negligence?
It takes an experienced expert to know the difference between birth injury negligence and an unavoidable complication. A lawyer from our firm will consult with professionals, gather evidence like medical records and test results, and build a strong claim that proves you and your baby should never have suffered the outcome you did.
Contact Thomas Law Offices’ Cincinnati Birth Injury Lawyers Today
If your baby was harmed by an act of negligence, your family is legally entitled to fair compensation that addresses your current and future losses. Don’t wait until Ohio’s two-year statute of limitation has passed. Talk to an attorney right away to learn how you can recover compensation that can go toward your child’s future.
We are ready and prepared to win your case. Contact an experienced and compassionate attorney from Thomas Law Offices. At no cost, we will provide you with the knowledge you need to best advocate for your child and give them the care they deserve.
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