The birth of a child is a joyous and momentous occasion. Doctors along with other hospital staff are obligated to ensure that your baby is delivered safely. When medical professionals fail to meet this obligation, a birth injury can occur. Thousands of babies born every year sustain birth injuries that will have debilitating and sometimes lifelong effects. If your newborn child has suffered due to the negligence or malpractice of a doctor or other medical professional, Spiros Law, P.C. is here to help you ensure that they are held legally accountable. You may be entitled to financial compensation for the ongoing medical expenses that you are faced with after your child suffers from birth injuries that could have been prevented had you received better medical care. Contact the Champaign birth injury lawyers at Spiros Law, P.C. today at (217) 328-2828 to learn about your legal options.
Do I Need A Birth Injury Attorney?
The experienced medical mistake attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C. have successfully won financial compensation for many families whose children have suffered birth injuries. The legal process can be quite long and confusing, but our experienced and dedicated lawyers are here to make your case easier for you so that you can focus on the health of your child and family. It is essential to take legal action against those responsible for your child’s birth injuries and the time in which to file your claim is limited. When you make your case sooner, medical records are still fresh and easily accessible. Sometimes, when too much time has passed since your child’s birth, those records are more difficult to obtain and use in your case, hindering your ability to take legal action. It can become costly to treat birth injuries; some conditions are chronic and require years and years of recurring medical bills. In this case, it is imperative for your family’s well-being to seek financial compensation to ensure a secure future for your child’s ongoing medical treatment. Without knowing what is in your child’s future, you can end up being unprepared for the care your child will end up needing. Seeking legal assistance can help mitigate future crises for your family.
Why Choose Spiros Law, P.C. to Handle My Case?
Spiros Law, P.C. has been helping the people of Champaign since 2005. In just the last ten years, we have recovered over $100 million for our clients. At Spiros Law, P.C., we are committed to working closely with our clients to keep them informed and involved at every step of the legal process. We often meet face-to-face and maintain consistent, open communication because we want to develop a good relationship with those we work with. Spiros Law, P.C. has a reputation as one of the most reliable and successful firms in Illinois. Our aggressive approach in our cases is the reason a significant portion of our clients find us through the recommendation of other law offices. Financial compensation may not reverse the birth trauma your child experienced due to the negligence of healthcare professionals, but it can help cover the expenses that result and secure the funding for your child’s future medical expenses so that you no longer have to worry about it. Spiros Law, P.C. is dedicated to helping the families of children who have suffered trauma during birth.
Causes of Birth Injuries
For every 1000 infants born, approximately seven suffer a birth injury. According to the Center for Disease Control, that’s almost 28,000 birth injuries a year. Birth injuries result from many different factors during birth, but the most common include the following:
- Intubation errors
- Negligent use of forceps
- Failure to identify fetal distress
- Large birth weight
- Maternal infections
- C-section delivery errors
- Failure to respond to maternal bleeding
- Abnormal birth position
- Induction medication complications
- Failures in monitoring the fetus
- Failure to respond to umbilical entrapment
Sometimes other external factors can make a birth injury more likely to occur, like maternal weight, maternal age, gender, fetal weight, fetal position, and prenatal care. While these factors are not often controllable, medical professionals are still trained to handle complications that arise due to such circumstances and are expected to avoid any harmful outcome for an infant during birth.
Common Birth Injuries
There are many forms of trauma resulting from birth injuries, some of which can lead to long-term, permanent consequences, and health complications. Some common birth injuries include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Hypoxia or HPE
- Erb’s palsy
- Shoulder dystocia
- Preeclampsia
- Infant brain damage
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Paralysis (temporary or permanent)
- Klumpke’s palsy
- Wrongful death
These injuries can have effects that are moderate or severe. In any case, they often require expensive medical treatment that can last over the course of years or an entire lifetime. Families should not have to bear the expense of treatment for conditions that could have been avoided during birth.
What is the difference between birth injuries and birth defects?
It is common to mistake a birth injury for a congenital disability, but they have important differences. Birth injuries are often avoidable and caused during childbirth itself. Congenital disabilities, on the other hand, did not develop during delivery; they result from genetic and environmental factors. Common birth defects include congenital heart disease, down syndrome, and cleft palates. Since birth injuries are often preventable, with responsible medical care during childbirth, you could file a claim with lawyers to seek financial compensation that will help alleviate the financial stress of caring for your injured child.
Who can be held liable for birth trauma?
Every party involved with your child’s birth—including doctors, nurses, midwives, hospitals and healthcare facilities—has both a legal and ethical obligation to provide a child and mother with a safe and uncomplicated birth. When one of these parties does not provide sufficient care during childbirth for any reason, a child can suffer severe consequences. Healthcare professionals must be able to handle emergencies and complications to ensure your baby’s safety. This includes using medical equipment and medications correctly to avoid complications that could lead to a child suffering a birth injury. Since there are a number of parties involved, we recommend reaching out to the attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C. to explore the possibilities of your case.
Contact Spiros Law, P.C.
The birth of your child should be one of the happiest days of your life. Medical negligence or malpractice, however, can quickly cloud this happy day and lead to months or years of stress, including expensive medical bills. If your child has suffered a birth injury, call Spiros Law, P.C. to discuss your legal options today at (217) 328-2828.
