A majority of babies born in the United States are safely delivered without permanent or catastrophic injuries. However, there are far too many babies that do suffer some type of birth trauma. Birth trauma can be caused by negligent obstetrical care, the inappropriate use of instruments such as forceps and/or vacuum extraction, and improper management of a newborn’s care after delivery. No matter what the cause of the trauma, the impact can last a lifetime.
A permanent and/or catastrophic traumatic birth injury affects not only the child’s life but also the lives of the entire family. For most families, successful pregnancy and delivery requires an extraordinary financial, emotional and, for the mom, physical commitment. During the nine months, a commitment and emotional bond is formed, this bond makes the thought of this little one suffering, an otherwise avoidable birth injury, simply terrifying.
Permanent/catastrophic birth injuries undoubtedly will drain a family of their physical, emotional, and financial resources. Babies who suffer birth-related traumatic complications or injuries resulting from the negligent actions or omissions of medical professionals and hospitals many times require a lifetime of extensive therapies. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy are just a few of the skilled care an injured baby might need. In addition to the various treatments, the injured baby may have to have numerous surgeries and/or a host of a specialists to manage their care. While the baby is going through the treatments that are necessary to provide them with a quality of life, the parents, in some cases, are learning how to use a ventilator, how to feed their baby with a feeding tube, and how to do the therapies at home.
The parents of a needlessly injured baby are understandably anxious, distraught, and uncertain of what the future holds. When faced with the knowledge that their baby will now endure pain, suffering, and potentially life-changing, permanent injuries and damages, they want to know why their baby was injured, could that injury have been avoided, how to hold the responsible parties accountable, and what can be done so another family will not experience the sadness and fear they are experiencing.
Birth injury cases are unlike any other type of personal injury case. Few law firms have the experience or resources to successfully prosecute a case against a hospital or doctor accused of making a mistake that resulted in a permanent/catastrophic injury to a child. Jacob Diesselhorst, at Maples, Nix & Diesselhorst, leads a team of birth injury attorneys who understands both the medicine of birth injury cases and the law. We hope you never need us, but please call for a free consultation if you think you do. We stand with you.
