Pregnant women depend on the expertise of healthcare providers throughout the course of their pregnancy, during birth and in the period following the delivery of their child. Not only do they depend on these professionals for several months, they also depend on several providers, including obstetricians, nurses and anesthesiologists.
David Mann helps clients hold negligent healthcare providers accountable when they fail to live up to their responsibilities. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation of your case.
This combination – the length of time an expectant mother needs quality care and the number of providers they encounter – means that there are several opportunities for mistakes to occur. Unfortunately, when healthcare providers are negligent in the care they give a pregnant patient, the results can be dire for a child, a mother and a family.
In the medical field, negligence is the failure to provide an acceptable, reasonable level of care to patients. Negligence related to birth can occur at any stage of the process. If you believe that your providers acted negligently and their mistakes led to the injury of your child, you can take legal action to hold them accountable for your child’s suffering.
Forms of Pre-Birth Negligence
Prenatal care is a key part of ensuring the health of both mother and child. Many birth injuries can be avoided in the weeks and months preceding labor by properly identifying and addressing certain risk factors. That’s why obstetricians are so important to the process. They have the training and experience to identify problems and treat mothers for certain medical conditions, including:
- Gestational diabetes. One of the most common conditions that a mother can experience during a pregnancy. When recognized and treated, the condition often causes little harm to the child. If a provider fails to diagnose or treat gestational diabetes, however, the condition can have a significant impact on the newborn, including developmental problems such as microsomia.
- When a mother’s blood pressure is high, it poses a number risks during a pregnancy. For example, high blood pressure could be related to a condition called toxemia, or preeclampsia. Toxemia can be a sign that the fetus is detaching from the uterus.
- Obesity. Being overweight can present the risk for several birth complications. Doctors know to be vigilant and to monitor an obese patient during a pregnancy. Failure to do so can be a sign of negligence on the part of a provider.
Labor and Delivery Negligence
In addition to looking for complication risks prior to the pregnancy, medical professionals have a responsibility to be thorough during the delivery process. While pre-natal care is often done in a more controlled environment in which a care provider has the benefit of planning and deliberation, birth presents providers with time constraints and, in some cases, emergencies. This is where the skill of experienced, knowledgeable doctors and nurses is crucial to the birth process. In unfortunate situations where there might be negligence, consulting with a Birth Injury lawyer can be a crucial step.
Examples of mistakes made during birth include:
- Failure to closely monitor fetus and mother
- Misdiagnosis of a condition or complication
- Administering the wrong medication or the wrong dose of a medication
- Misuse of tools or equipment
- Failure to identify the need for cesarean section
- Not getting the baby out of the birth canal soon enough.
Consequences of Negligence
When a medical professional fails to take necessary precautions, or fails to act responsibly during the birth process, it is the patients who suffer the consequences. Common birth injuries include:
Bone fractures- Brachial Plexus Palsy (Erb’s Palsy/Klumpke’s Palsy)
- Cerebral palsy
- Perinatal asphyxia
- Spinal cord injuries
- Brain damage
- Excessive bleeding.
These injuries can have both short-term and long-term consequences for a child. They can cause developmental problems and physical disabilities. Birth injuries can also place an incredible financial burden on a family. The costs of treatment, ongoing care and accommodating special needs of a child can put a family in a difficult situation.
How David Mann Can Help
When a healthcare provider’s negligence is responsible for the burdens of a family, we believe that the family has the right to take legal action. David Mann helps clients by making sure they receive compensation for the damages they have suffered. We will hold a negligent doctor or nurse accountable for their actions. To learn more about your options and schedule a free consultation, contact David Mann at (478) 742-3381 today.
Attorney David Mann
Before leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]
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