Birth injuries

Birth injuries happen every year to more than 100,000 babies in the United States alone. About 27 of every 1,000 births here involve a birth injury. Many of these injuries are unavoidable, but others are due to the negligence or mistakes of the medical professionals who are providing the delivery care.

When Birth Injuries Are Due to Malpractice
The Shapiro Law Group represents infants with birth injuries due to medical malpractice and their families. We have the medical knowledge, experience and skills to obtain fair compensation for damages based on birth injuries, and we understand the heartache and anxiety that families of birth-injured infants are going through.

Birth injuries are usually a complete shock to the parents. To make matters worse, the delivery team that may be responsible for the injury is sometimes uncooperative and reluctant to reveal their mistake(s), leaving the parents with further confusion and fears.

Medical Care That Does Not Meet the Expected Standard
Doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, emergency medical technicians, midwives, and other healthcare providers sometimes make mistakes, act recklessly, or make decisions that are impaired by alcohol, drug abuse or lack of sleep. Examples of medical care (or lack of care) that can produce an infant's birth injury include:

• failure to adequately respond to complications during the delivery
• improper birth techniques
• oxygen deprivation; failing to correct apnea
• using excessive force to remove the baby from the birth canal
• mishandling a baby's skull
• delegating procedures to non-qualified or inexperienced staff
• failing to identify fetal distress, Rh incompatibility, maternal diabetes, or maternal or fetal infection
• delay in performing a Cesarean section when needed
  
  

Many Types of Birth Injuries
Many serious, permanent conditions are the potential consequence of birth injuries, including:

• Brain damage
• Bone fractures
• Brachial plexus palsy; Erb's palsy
  
• Cerebral palsy
• Paralysis (permanent or temporary, localized or widespread)
• Group B strep
  

Contact a Shapiro Law Group Birth Injury Lawyer
If your child has suffered a birth injury and you suspect that its cause is medical malpractice, contact the Shapiro Law Group for answers to your questions. We're here to help.