Birth Injuries: What's A Parent To Do?

For many, child birth can be an exciting, if not stressful, time. The fear of the unknown coupled with the pains of labor (or watching your loved one in pain) can lead to levels of anxiety the new parents-to-be may not have previously experienced. These understandable feelings aside, giving birth should be a joyous occasion for the proud parents, and one that everyone remembers fondly. Unfortunately for many parents, and the innocent children involved, this is not always the case.

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Birth injuries

Something no new parent-to-be wants to face is the reality of birth injuries. Indeed, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, brain injuries occur in approximately three out of every 1,000 full-term births. But how do you know when your infant's injuries were a result of medical negligence?

Complications during labor can result in serious injuries to the newborn, including brain injuries, spinal injuries, deformities, broken bones, cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy or even stillbirth. Negligent birthing procedures can also lead to lack of oxygen to the newborn, resulting in conditions such as cerebral palsy or hypoxia. These injuries can lead to lifelong medical complications requiring expensive medical care and treatment. Should you have to carry the financial burden of a doctor's or hospital's negligence? We say no. And California law agrees.

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Examples of medical malpractice

Some examples of hospital and medical negligence include:

• Failure to diagnosed or misdiagnosing an injury, illness, or disease
• Surgical errors
• Birth injuries, including injuries to the mother or child
• Medication errors, including over-medication or prescription errors
• Improper care leading to infection or bedsores

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Though injuries to newborns are sometimes caused by natural complications during labor, many are not. While doctors and medical staff will try to blame natural complications for birth injuries, they are often the ones at fault. In times like these, a qualified birth injury attorney is needed to investigate, help discover the truth, and recover any financial damages that the parents or child may be entitled to.

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Financial compensation for birth injuries

If you or your child suffered injuries as a result of medical malpractice or medical negligence during childbirth, you may be able to recover compensation for:

• medical bills
• lost wages
• emotional trauma
• pain and suffering
• punitive damages

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This list is not exhaustive. Reach out to the experienced injury attorneys at Ghozland Law Firm today to discuss your legal rights.