Birth injury

What Is a birth injury?

Birth injuries (also called birth trauma) refer to any physical harm to a newborn baby before, during, or shortly after delivery. Harm and injury sustained by the mother also falls into the categories of birth injury and birth trauma. 

The Benefits of Working with a birth injury lawyer

When you work with a birth injury lawyer at Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, you partner with a dedicated advocate committed to vigorously representing your interests. Each birth injury lawsuit is unique, but typically, you can get support every step of the way, including investigation, lawsuit filing, evidence gathering and discovery, mediation, settlement, and if necessary, trial.  

Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, only charging you if they win your case. This arrangement allows families to focus on recovery and care of their children without worrying about legal expenses. 

We understand that things may be overwhelming after you and your family experience a birth injury, and ultimately, we believe that teaming up with an attorney can help you by providing:

Birth Injury Statistics

1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), birth injuries occur in about 7 of every 1,000 babies born in the United States. 
2. Birth trauma occurs most often in rural areas. 
3. Babies who are oversized, born prematurely, and part of multiple births are at a greater risk of a birth injury. 
4. Women between the ages of 25 and 34 are at the highest risk for birth injuries caused by assistive delivery tools (like forceps or vacuum extraction complications). 

What Types of Cases do Birth INjury Attorneys Handle?

In birth injury cases, a child is injured as a result of careless and preventable mistakes during childbirth. Below are a few examples of the types of injuries that these attorneys have worked with, as well as some of their clients.

Cerebral Palsy

Due to brain damage, cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition. Depending on the part of the brain affected, it can lead to developmental and physical disabilities. Cerebral palsy can sometimes be prevented by doctors preventing many of its complications. Their job is to make sure a baby doesn’t suffer from asphyxiation since a lack of oxygen can harm the brain and lead to cerebral palsy.

Erb’s Palsy

Brachial plexus palsy, also known as Erb’s palsy, is a form of nerve damage that can affect the shoulders, arms, and hands. A child with Erb’s palsy experiences numbness, weakness, or paralysis throughout their body. Despite the fact that Erb’s palsy can often be treated, some children may not fully recover. The excessive force used by medical professionals during the delivery process can lead to Erb’s palsy in the newborn. A doctor may damage the baby’s nerves if, for example, a baby is stuck in the birth canal and a vacuum extractor or forceps are used incorrectly.

Spinal cord injuries

Signals from the brain can travel to various parts of the body through the spinal cord. Nerve damage or tears in the spine can cause numbness or paralysis. When doctors pull too hard on a baby’s neck or head, they can cause a spinal cord injury. Additionally, some doctors fail to diagnose and treat conditions that cause spinal cord injuries, such as spina bifida.

Brain damage

If a baby is deprived of oxygen during birth, suffers head trauma, or is infected by their mother while in the womb, they are at risk of suffering brain damage. There are mild brain injuries as well as more severe ones, such as cerebral palsy.

Other injuries

Many other preventable birth injuries can also be handled by experienced birth injury lawyers. Other potential types of birth injuries include:

Four Considerations AFter A Birth INjury Occurs

The emotional toll

Birth injuries are devastating for families. Some require you and your entire household to learn a different way of life. On top of this stress, many people often have to manage the medical crisis while also managing work.  

The care plan

Many parents don’t know what kind of care their child may need after a birth injury. An experienced legal expert who has worked through a birth injury case before can help you figure out your next steps.  

The financial burden

Medical bills following a birth injury can be overwhelming. They often require ongoing payments for medical care and support. If medical malpractice or negligence is at the heart of your experience, the medical professional or hospital where the birth occurred may owe you compensation that can cover your medical costs. 

Small medical mistakes are sometimes severe and require years of intensive treatment, including surgery, medication, and other types of therapy. You should not have to pay for expensive medical treatment if your child suffers a severe and preventable birth injury.

Finding an attorney to assist with your case

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys can focus on calculating compensation to cover your expenses, increase your chances of building a strong claim, and help you achieve maximum compensation after a traumatic time.