Birth Injury

Medical Malpractice Lawyer - Plaintiff Cases
Medical Malpractice Defense

Birth Injury during Prenatal Care

Obstetricians as well as labor/delivery nurses and staff have acceptable medical standards they must follow when monitoring prenatal care, labor and delivery. The physician is expected to treat a pregnant mother for diabetes, hypertension, thyroid problems, infections, toxemia and other complications that can effect the development of her unborn baby. Failure to do so may cause cerebral palsy or other harm to the baby, referred to as birth injury.

Birth Injury during Labor/Delivery

In addition to proper prenatal care, the obstetrician and his/her delivery staff are responsible to take action if strong contractions occur during labor which put the baby in jeopardy and show indications of fetal distress. In such instances a cesarean section may be required, and the failure to perform or a delay in performing a cesarean could result in injuring the baby. In addition, unskilled use of forceps or vacuums during birth may result in head injury or oxygen deprivation with resultant brain damage to the fetus.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy can develop from birth injury caused before, during or shortly after birth and is a type of brain damage that affects movement and muscle coordination. Depending on the severity of brain damage, cerebral palsy may affect a child's ability to walk, talk, see or hear and may also result in muscle tightness, spasms, involuntary motions and seizures.

Brachial Plexus

Brachial plexus is another common type of birth injury. Brachial plexus occurs when the baby's shoulders are too large to pass through the birth canal and become lodged behind the mother's pubic bone during labor. Efforts to pull the baby out of the birth canal may stretch or tear the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that extend from the spine and neck down to the arm and hands. Brachial plexus injury often creates numbness, a lack of muscle control and possibly a limp or paralyzed arm.

Establishing Liability

Because not all birth injuries result from medical malpractice and some injuries are medically unavoidable under good standards of medical practice, the assistance of a seasoned medical malpractice lawyer is invaluable in evaluating liability connected with birth injury. Whether you are a family seeking to pursue a medical malpractice suit or an obstetrician or other medical professional in need of malpractice defense, our lawyers at Creedon & Feliciani offer extensive experience and skills in representing your case. We have the substantial resources necessary to take on malpractice cases in terms of finance as well as qualified experts. Adept at negotiated settlements, mediation and arbitration as well as courtroom litigation, our medical malpractice lawyers have numerous successes and strive to achieve favorable outcomes on behalf of our clients.

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Arrange a Consultation

Please call our law firm at (610) 239-9630 to arrange a free initial consultation with one of our lawyers to discuss your birth injury concerns. Plaintiff injury cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, meaning if there is no recovery, there is no fee. Defense of birth injury cases are subject to a fee schedule offered at competitive rates.