Shelton Birth Injury Lawyer

Waiting for the arrival of a child should be a time for joy and celebration. When you enter a delivery room, you should not have to worry about whether your child will leave with a host of medical problems that could last for a lifetime. Unfortunately, mistakes occur every day in delivery rooms across the country. When these mistakes are a result of a provider’s negligence, they could be liable for resulting injuries.

If you suspect that your infant suffered a severe injury due to a medical error during birth, contact a knowledgeable malpractice attorney right away. A Shelton birth injury lawyer could help you seek justice for your child and pursue the compensation you deserve.

Not All Birth Injuries Result in Actionable Legal Claims

Although almost every family who has a child born with a birth injury goes through heartache and suffering, not all of those families can seek legal relief. Ultrasounds, genetic testing, blood screenings, and other medical innovations have allowed obstetricians to predict many fetal abnormalities before birth. Unfortunately, these screenings cannot identify every congenital disability or abnormality. Some injuries appear unexpectedly during pregnancy or birth and are not preventable.

Families can only seek damages in a malpractice claim when a medical professional makes an unreasonable, avoidable mistake. For example, a family could pursue legal relief if another obstetrician with the same background and training would have acted differently and could potentially have changed the outcome. A knowledgeable Shelton attorney could review the details of a situation to determine whether a birth injury meets the legal standard for malpractice.

Possible Indicators of Birth Injuries

Obstetricians, midwives, and other labor and delivery workers meet regularly with expectant mothers throughout pregnancy to check for possible problems. In the labor and delivery room, responsible birth center personnel know how to look for indicators of potential problems. If these health workers see a sign of a problem and act quickly, they can often prevent a birth injury from occurring or at least minimize the harm.

Signs of Problems During a Pregnancy

Potential types of provider malpractice during pregnancy that could lead to birth injuries include:

• Failing to monitor a baby’s size– Babies that appear too large on ultrasounds or in measurements could have problems fitting through the vaginal canal
• Failing to note an improper birthing position– Babies that are in a breech or transverse position are at an increased risk of needing a c-section
• Failure to order prenatal tests
• Failure to recognize certain health conditions in the mother, such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia

Reasonable doctors can often take steps during pregnancies to prevent later injuries at birth. A provider that does not take these steps could be held liable for consequent birth injuries.

Signs of Problems During Labor and Delivery

Healthcare workers in the labor and delivery rooms need to act appropriately to avoid the following complications:

• The umbilical cord being wrapped around a baby’s neck
• Waiting too long to order a c-section
• Misusing a delivery tool such as a vacuum or forceps
• Failing to notice that the expectant mother is suffering from an infection

A skilled Shelton attorney could work with medical experts to identify whether another reasonable doctor could have acted differently and prevented or mitigated a birth injury.

Reach out to a Shelton Birth Injury Attorney Today

Birth injuries are often tragic for the families involved. Children could suffer lifelong physical, cognitive, and emotional damages. If your infant suffered a birth injury due to a medical provider’s negligence, you deserve to hold them accountable.

At Berkowitz Hanna, our priority is making things right. As one of the top three medical malpractice firms in the state, we work tirelessly to get you fair compensation for your losses. Contact a Shelton birth injury lawyer today to get started on your case.