The birth of a child should be a joyous occasion. Unfortunately, some babies suffer severe birth injuries during delivery or due to negligent prenatal care. After a birth injury, many new parents wonder what they did wrong or what they could have done differently to prevent their child’s injury.
Some birth injuries are simply unavoidable. However, some birth injuries occur because the delivery staff failed to react to signs of a complicated delivery process. Some birth injuries happen because specific symptoms and signs were missed during the prenatal phase.
A qualified Indianapolis birth injury attorney can help determine whether your child’s birth injury was preventable. Contact our office today so we can review your case.
What Is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury is a physical injury experienced during childbirth that affects either the mother or the baby. Alternatively, a birth defect occurs while the fetus is still in the womb, typically within the first three months of pregnancy.
Common Types of Birth Injury
Despite significant prenatal and delivery care advancements, birth injuries still occur with alarming frequency. Birth injuries can affect an infant and the mother delivering the baby. Some common birth injuries that affect infants include:
- Birth asphyxia and other forms of oxygen deprivation;
- Brachial plexus injuries, which typically involve the shoulders, hands, and arms;
- Erb’s palsy, which often results in complete paralysis of one arm;
- Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) due to lack of oxygen;
- Shoulder dystocia (the infant’s shoulders become lodged behind the pelvic bone);
- Vacuum extraction and forceps injuries, including bruises and broken bones;
- Cephalohematoma, or bruising that occurs between outer layers of skin and the brain; and
- Cerebral palsy, often caused by a lack of oxygen during birth.
Some birth injuries that affect the mother include:
- Prolapsed uterus,
- Perineal tears,
- Uterine rupture,
- Infection,
- C-section errors,
- Abnormal uterine bleeding,
- Preeclampsia/eclampsia, and
- Hemorrhaging.
Mothers can face life-threatening birth injuries if doctors and nurses do not respond promptly in the delivery room.
Frequent Causes of Birth Injury
Birth injuries can result from mistakes in the delivery room, as well as treatment failures prior to the labor and delivery process. A thorough doctor will look for potential complications and prepare for those scenarios in the delivery room. Some common causes of birth injuries include:
- Administration of defective drugs or improper doses;
- Incorrect use of medical instruments, including forceps and vacuum extractors;
- Failure to detect the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby’s neck;
- Failure to monitor vital signs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery;
- Oxygen deprivation or asphyxia;
- Medication errors;
- Failure to diagnose or treat infections or placental abruption;
- Failure to order a C-section when necessary;
- Undiagnosed or untreated infection before delivery;
- Failure to diagnose maternal medical conditions, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes;
- Failure to respond to signs of fetal distress; or
- A lack of prenatal testing.
There is a wide range of potential causes of a birth injury, including mistakes during delivery, poor pregnancy care, and medication errors. An Indianapolis, IN, birth injury lawyer at Gerling Law can help investigate the cause of your child’s birth injury and determine who is responsible.
Benefits Of Hiring An Indianapolis Birth Injury Lawyer
Once you know if you have a case, there are many benefits to having an Indianapolis birth injury attorney from our law firm on your side during this legal process.
They Will Level The Legal Playing Field
Having someone who can advocate for you when you are going head to head against a physician, a medical practice, or a hospital, can be vitally important because you will be fighting against a medical malpractice insurance claim, and the doctor will be represented as well.
They Will Protect Your Rights
You need someone who is going to advocate for you, fight for your rights, answer your legal questions, and help give you peace of mind throughout the legal process.
A birth injury lawyer in Indianapolis will also help ensure that you file your claim before the Indiana medical malpractice statute of limitation expires.
Make sure that you have someone in your corner when you are fighting against a birth injury claim, because your rights are important when a birth injury occurs, especially when you consider the medical bills.
See What Our Clients Have to Say
Our Indianapolis birth injury attorneys at Gerling Law know what it takes to recover a fair settlement on behalf of clients who suffered a birth injury. We do not expect you to take our word for it.
Robert Rock of Gerling Law handled my case very well. My wife initially called Gerling Law for me while I was still in the hospital and set an appointment with an attorney. Robert came there for our first meeting. He was easy to contact throughout the case and kept me up to date with everything going on. He was sensitive to my concerns and those of my wife throughout the course of the case. I was told it might take up to 4 years before I might receive a settlement even before Covid-19 became an issue. Robert demonstrated considerable patience as each new bump in the road came along. Most importantly, he did not simply “give up” when our case was sidetracked by the first judge’s ruling. He persevered and continued to find options which finally worked to get me a settlement. I would recommend Gerling Law to anyone who is injured and needing representation.
- Carl B.
Gerling Law has a generational legacy of being compassionate and caring to their community and their clients. They participate and champion many charitable causes—some visibly, but most without recognition. I love seeing the staff fit children with bicycle helmets they donate to the community every single year! They fight for justice for their clients with two lifetimes of experience!
- Marie J.
The staff at Gerling Law definitely knows how to handle personal injury claims. They did a great job representing my claim. When I went to them, I felt that I didn’t know my rights and the insurance company was going to take advantage of that. The fantastic team at Gerling made my life a lot less stressful. I cannot thank them enough!
- Rick S.
We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality of legal representation. Contact an Indianapolis, IN, birth injury attorney at Gerling Law today so we can discuss your case.
Contact our Indianapolis Birth Injury Lawyers at Gerling Law Today
Gerling Law has over five decades of experience helping clients through challenging and emotional times. We understand the complexities of birth injury cases and are ready to fiercely represent you every step of the way. Our lawyers offer patience and compassion while fighting aggressively for the justice and compensation you deserve.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, contact our office today. You can expect to receive honest legal advice and have any questions answered during your free case evaluation. We also handle clients with other types of injury cases, including auto vehicle accidents and pedestrian accidents.
Go with Experience. Go with Gerling.®