Morristown Birth Injury Attorney
Birth Injury Attorney Protecting Families Across New Jersey
Childbirth is a joyous time for many families. The beginning of new life and adding to the family is one of the best things that can happen. However, for some childbirth can bring many unexpected challenges. These problems are especially troubling when they are avoidable. Such as the case when doctors, hospitals or medical staff makes critical errors that can endanger the life and well-being of your child. Unfortunately, such complications are often the cause by of lasting and very costly injury to a newborn.
Birth injuries can happen for a wide variety of reasons, however, those injuries may also be caused by medical malpractice, negligence, and careless mistakes, you have the option and the legal right to hold the responsible party accountable.
Though serious birth injuries are rarer than in the past, many injuries can still occur during birth, such as:
- Bone fractures
- Skull fractures, often caused by the improper use of forceps
- Nerve injuries
- Injuries to the brachial plexus
- Cerebral palsy caused by asphyxia during birth, hypoxia of the brain and trauma during delivery
- Bleeding in the brain
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage below the innermost of the two membranes covering the skull
- Subdural hemorrhage between the outer and inner layers covering the brain
- Intraventricular hemorrhage in the fluid-filled spaces in the brain
- Intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the brain tissue
- Cephalohematoma in which blood accumulates below the periosteum skull bone
Sadly, many of these conditions and injuries are completely avoidable and often occur due to poor training and errors by doctors and medical staff. Even more shocking is that some of these conditions often go undiagnosed due to negligence.
If your child suffered an injury during birth and you suspect that your doctor, hospital or the medical staff was negligent, it is best to speak with a Morristown birth injury attorney as soon as possible. In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice claim is only two years. However, if the injury is birth-related the statute of limitations does not expire until your child is 13.
Preventing Birth Injuries: Morristown Attorney Holding Doctors and Hospitals Accountable
Preventing birth injuries is the responsibility of both parents and health care professionals. In the end, you must hold your doctor and hospital accountable and make sure they are providing you with the standard of care you need and the law says you deserve.
Proper Prenatal Care
It begins with providing proper prenatal care. Doctors should always recommend a variety of prenatal tests, which are done in order to assess the health of both the mother and baby which are, in many ways, interdependent. Prenatal testing will provide critical information about maternal conditions such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia as well as identify infections. These tests may also help medical professionals recognize a wide variety of fetal issues and assure that the baby is growing properly. Furthermore, suboptimal positions (e.g. breech), umbilical cord problems, and heart rate abnormalities can all be detected early if the proper test is run. Catching these complications early can help to avoid serious birth injuries. It is critical that doctors recognize factors that make a pregnancy high-risk. Women with high-risk pregnancies should be referred to a maternal-fetal specialist in order to receive more extensive prenatal care and monitoring.
Detecting and Addressing Fetal Distress
Detecting and addressing signs of fetal distress is a must to avoid birth injuries. Throughout the entire pregnancy and during delivery, medical professionals should monitor the mother and baby for any signs of fetal distress which may indicate that the baby is likely being deprived of oxygen.
Detectable signs of fetal distress include:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Cramping
- Decreased fetal movement
- Abnormal fetal heart rate
- Abnormal amniotic fluid volume
- Abnormal biophysical profile (BPP)
- Insufficient or excessive maternal weight gain
If the mother notices any of these signs she should report them to her doctor immediately. However, it is also the responsibility of doctors to question the mother and conduct a test to be sure that all is well. If you feel that your doctor or hospital is not providing the necessary care for your health and the health of your child you should change doctors or hospitals as soon as you can. If your child was injured during the because of negligence on the part of your doctor, hospital or the hospital medical staff then contacting an experienced medical malpractice attorney is highly recommended.
Call for a Consultation with a Morristown Birth Injury Attorney Today
An experienced birth injury lawyer can help you fully understand your rights and fight to defend them. You can count on our client centered approach ensure that you have all the information necessary to make these critical decisions for you and your family. It´s imperative that you recognize the intricacies of a birth injury case and the impact that a seasoned birth injury attorney will provide before you start with the legal process or reach an agreement on your own.
At The Law Offices of Michael P. Burakoff, we want you to be clear on the process, why you need a birth injury lawyer, and what to look for when choosing the best attorney to represent you. Call us 973-455-1567 or visit our website to provide the initial steps in defending your case.
