When your child sustains a birth injury, it could have a severe impact on the rest of their life. Certain injuries can lead to chronic pain or mental difficulties that make it difficult for your child to enjoy the quality of life they might otherwise have had. A Stone Mountain birth injury lawyer has the resources to identify who was at fault for the condition and hold them responsible.
Never assume you are without legal options following a devastating birth injury. In partnership with a trusted medical malpractice attorney, you can pursue a lawsuit against the hospital, doctors, or other parties who were at fault.
Common Types of Birth Injuries
Birth injuries come in many different forms and the extent of these injuries depends, in part, on how a medical mistake caused the condition. Many of these birth injuries occur during the labor and delivery process, resulting from a doctor or nurse failing to pay attention to things like fetal distress until it is too late. Other birth injuries can stem from the improper use of forceps or failure to notice the placenta has wrapped around the baby’s neck.
A birthing malpractice injury occur due to inadequate medical care during pregnancy. If a claimant’s medical needs are not met, this inadequate care could have consequences that become apparent when the baby is born. Some of the most common examples of birth injuries include the following:
- Spinal cord damage
- Brain injuries
- Cephalohematoma
- Brachial palsy
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Bone fractures
In addition to injuries to the child, the mother could also face severe health consequences due to medical negligence. A Stone Mountain birth injury attorney can hold these negligent medical professionals accountable by analyzing the medical records and filing suit if they discover negligence.
Who is Liable for a Birth Injury?
A vital part of any birth injury lawsuit is identifying the negligent party or parties. There can be multiple individuals or entities who share in the fault for what happened. Not only could our Stone Mountain attorney determine how a birth injury occurred, they can also identify all of the potential defendants.
Doctors
The doctor who oversees the birth of a child is ultimately responsible when things go wrong. These doctors can be negligent when they fail to monitor a child or act quickly enough when they detect the infant is in distress.
Nurses
Nurses could also share in fault for birth injuries. This is especially common in cases involving the failure to notice signs of distress, as nurses generally spend more time with the mother during labor and delivery.
Medical Facilities
Medical facilities and the people who administer them can also be at fault in certain circumstances. For example, if a hospital was negligent in hiring or training employees, and one of those employees was at fault for a child’s injury, the facility could hold vicarious liability.
These facilities could also be at fault due to recordkeeping errors. Administrative errors could prevent patients from receiving the medication they need during their pregnancy or might lead to a procedure that was not supposed to happen.
Reach Out to a Stone Mountain Birth Injury Attorney for a Consultation
No parent should ever have to experience their child suffering from negligent delivery choices. When these injuries happen, legal action may be necessary to ensure mother and child alike have the care and support they need.
Let a Stone Mountain birth injury lawyer advocate for you and your child. Call today to learn more about your options from Childers, Schlueter & Smith.
