The birth of a child is a special time. Unfortunately, babies are sometimes injured during birth due to medical mistakes. Some birth injuries resolve quickly, while others bring lifelong medical consequences. Regardless of the severity of your baby’s birth injury, you shouldn’t navigate the law on your own.
The information on this page is designed to help you feel prepared if you decide to pursue legal action with a birth injury lawsuit.
Below, you will find an overview of birth injury law and common questions you might consider asking a birth injury lawyer at a consultation.
What is a Birth Injury?
At the outset, it’s worth noting that there’s a difference between birth injuries and birth defects. Birth defects occur during pregnancy and can be the result of various genetic and environmental factors. Birth injuries, by contrast, are a result of something that occurs during delivery or shortly after the birthing process.
Examples of common types of birth injuries include:
- Asphyxia (oxygen deprivation) resulting from umbilical cord strangulation or being in the birth canal too long
- Brain damage resulting from hypoxia or lack of oxygen to the brain (this is also called “hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy” or HIE)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy resulting from brachial plexus injuries
- Broken bones resulting from the improper use of forceps
- Injuries resulting from a Cesarean section (C-section)
These are just examples of injuries that could be involved in a birth injury case. The reality is that there are many causes of birth injuries, and every case is unique. If you suspect medical malpractice in your child’s birth injuries, do not delay in contacting a medical malpractice attorney.