subject: Birth Injury Lawsuits: Compensating Families For Injuries Caused By Medical Malpractice [print this page] The birth of a baby is supposed to be a joyous time. In some circumstances unfortunate events take place that can lead to injury to the baby. When a birth injury occurs it can often be due to medical malpractice. When a baby has been injured during childbirth it is important to seek advice from an attorney experienced in birth injury lawsuits. During this emotional time a person often has many questions. Here are some frequently asked questions regarding birth injury lawsuits.
How does a person know if a baby has a birth injury or a birth defect?
It is important to determine whether or not the baby has a birth injury or birth defect before assuming medical malpractice. A birth injury typically occurs during the actual childbirth while a birth defect is a condition that occurs during the pregnancy.
What kinds of circumstances are included in birth injury lawsuits?
There are times that birth injuries happen through no fault of any person or medical professional. However, many birth injuries occur due to a medical professionals inadequate response to a complication that occurs during pregnancy or childbirth. Some of the situations that can lead to a birth injury lawsuit are lack of oxygen to the baby during birth, delayed cesarean section, and improper use of labor-inducing drugs.
What will the attorney need for a birth injury lawsuit?
For an experienced attorney to determine whether a person has a viable birth injury lawsuit they are going to need to evaluate medical documentation for the mother and for the baby. These medical documents may include prenatal medical records for the mother, fetal heart monitor strip, newborn medical records, labor and delivery records, as well as any imaging studies such as ultrasounds that were performed on the mother and the baby. Your attorney will work with medical experts to review these documents and evaluate your potential birth injury claim.
