If your newborn has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition, it may be in your family’s best interest to begin speaking with birth injury lawyers to determine the merits of your case and which attorney is right for you. Unfortunately, preventable birth injuries are far more common than they should be, and far too many parents find themselves needing to seek just compensation for medical bills, developmental delays, pain and suffering, and other harm that could—and should—have been avoided.
Birth injury lawyers handle cases involving all types of physical and cognitive conditions caused by medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. If you have any questions about your legal rights as a parent in Illinois, we strongly encourage you to schedule a free consultation.
Do you have grounds to file a birth injury lawsuit? Some of the most common types of birth injury cases our Chicago birth injury lawyers handle include:
An alarming number of birth injury cases involve diagnostic errors, including complete failure to diagnose maternal or fetal health risks. Infections, problems with the placenta, and other risk factors for complications from childbirth can have serious consequences, and they can—and should—be properly diagnosed in most cases.
In many cases, a delayed diagnosis can be just as dangerous as a complete diagnostic failure. When a diagnosis comes too late, this can cause unnecessary harm to both the mother and the baby. This includes, but is by no means limited to, delayed diagnoses that result in the need for emergency C-section deliveries.
One of the most serious risks for fetuses during pregnancy, labor, and delivery is the risk of oxygen deprivation. If a fetus does not receive an adequate and continuous supply of oxygen, this can lead to a variety of life-altering, and potentially life-threatening, consequences.
Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s shoulders get stuck during delivery. It frequently leads to physical trauma, and it can be a life-threatening emergency in some cases. But, even without dystocia, babies can experience brachial plexus injuries and a wide range of other forms of physical trauma due to medical mistakes made during the delivery process.
Cerebral palsy (CP) and Erb’s palsy (EP) are complications from childbirth that can have a variety of physical and neurological effects. These effects can last a lifetime, and they can negatively impact all aspects of a child’s life through adulthood. Treatment for CP, EP, and other forms of palsy can become incredibly expensive, and these often-preventable conditions can lead to a variety of other significant costs as well.
Infant meningitis is one of several infections that can present serious risks for newborn babies. Newborns’ bodies can struggle to fight infections; and, in some cases, infections can cause permanent cognitive impairments or neurological damage before they are cured.
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) are two of the more-common examples of infant brain injuries that can result from medical malpractice. But, there are many more examples as well. While accurately diagnosing an infant brain injury can be difficult, obtaining a timely and accurate diagnosis is extremely important, as effective treatment can be essential for mitigating any long-term (or lifelong) effects.
Kernicterus, also known as bilirubin encephalopathy, is a complication that often results from mistakes during childbirth that can damage both the brain and the central nervous system. As a result, it has the potential to lead to cognitive disorders and other serious consequences in many cases, especially without effective treatment. It is often associated with jaundice, which results from a buildup of bilirubin in the blood, and which can have serious consequences of its own.
Here too, a prompt diagnosis is essential. If a doctor fails to properly diagnose kernicterus, jaundice, or any other serious complication from childbirth, this can warrant a medical malpractice claim even if the original condition was not the result of a medical mistake. With today’s medical knowledge and technology, there are very few excuses for failing to provide appropriate care in the delivery room or in the neonatal setting.
If you need to know more about filing a birth injury claim in Illinois, our lawyers can explain everything you need to know.
To schedule a FREE case evaluation with one of our Illinois birth injury lawyers at Coplan + Crane, please call 312-982-0588 today. We help clients across Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and other areas. We handle premises liability cases on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win.