Birth Injury
Lawyers

FAQs

• How Can I Tell If My Child Was Injured Due To Medical Malpractice?

  The nature of birth injury and trauma means that symptoms may not manifest themselves for some time after birth, and by then the consequences could be even worse for your child. Mike Morse Law Firm will be sure to review your medical records to examine any steps taken to monitor the health and wellness of you and your child, including diagnostic tests, delivery methods, use of birthing tools, and more. We will work alongside medical experts to determine if medical malpractice contributed to your child’s condition, and will work to determine if a birth injury claim is viable.

• What Can I Recover If My Child Was Injured Due To Medical Malpractice?

  When a child suffers any injury as the result of medical negligence, the family may be entitled to damages and recovery to help cover any resulting expenses, such as:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Healthcare & standard-of-living costs such as in-home care equipment, specialized vehicles, occupational therapy, and more
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of companionship and overall enjoyment of life

• What Should I Do If My Child Was Injured By Medical Malpractice?

  A number of different factors can cause birth trauma and birth injury, many of them seemingly unavoidable. At the Mike Morse Law Firm, we have the special training, education, and experience you need to get compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial hardships that birth trauma can cause. If you want to hire the Mike Morse Law Firm to represent you and your family in a birth injury lawsuit, contact us today for a free consultation.

• What Kind Of Birth Injuries Can Happen To A Newborn?

  The number of injuries and trauma that can result from improper birthing procedure is wide-ranging, and the Mike Morse Law Firm is available to review claims involving the following:

  • Fractured clavicle
  • Brain damage
  • Head trauma
  • Brachial plexus injury
  • Shoulder dystocia
  • Facial paralysis
  • Wry neck (or Torticollis)
  • Injuries resulting from HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy)

• What Kind Of Long-Term Health Problems Can Result From Birth Injury?

  While all forms of birth injury are tragic for the parents and child, certain kinds of birth injuries can lead to more long-term and traumatic disabilities for the affected child. Cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy are both movement disorders frequently resulting from birth trauma that have a number of lifelong and wide-ranging effects such as:

  • Poor coordination
  • Inability to walk
  • Seizures
  • Tremors
  • Difficulty thinking and reasoning

  If your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy, the doctor or hospital who performed the birth may be held responsible due to improper birthing procedures. Mike Morse Law Firm will help look into your child’s medical records and determine if the delivering hospital will be responsible for financial damages resulting from improper birthing practice.

• What Are the Different Types Of Birth Injury?

  Birth injury can take many unfortunate forms depending on the method of birth and any procedures involved. Here are a few of the most common types of birth trauma:

  Improper Forceps and Vacuum Use: When a baby is encountering difficulty escaping the birth canal, a number of implements and tools can be used to assist in giving birth, such as forceps and vacuums. Improper use of these tools can cause complications like nerve damage and oxygen deprivation, which may lead to further conditions such as cerebral palsy and other birth injuries.

  Delay In Ordering A Caesarian Section: If a child is suffering from fetal distress during the birthing process, an emergency c-section may be ordered. These are commonly ordered if the child’s heart rate slows as the result of a sudden drop in the mother’s blood pressure, due to blood loss, slowed labor, ruptures in the uterus, or other problems in delivery. If the delivery team fails to order a c-section in time to prevent injury or death for either the mother or the child, they may be liable for damages.

  Hypoxia: Hypoxia is a condition resulting from a lack of oxygen reaching a child’s brain. During childbirth the child could find itself tangled in its own umbilical cord, preventing oxygen from getting to the child’s brain. If left unaddressed, hypoxia can lead to serious mental and physical disabilities. Medical practitioners are trained to detect signs of hypoxia, but if the doctor fails to notice the cause of hypoxia he or she may be liable for any resulting injuries or complications.

• Additional Birth Injuries, Trauma, & Negligence:

  • Failing to use labor-inducing drugs such as Pitocin
  • Neglecting to perform required tests
  • Failing to diagnose illness and injury correctly
  • Neglecting to refer high-risk patients to specialized doctors
  • Failing to record or properly address any changes in condition of the fetus
  • Failure to perform proper pre-natal testing
  • Neglecting to properly communicate problems to doctors or patient