Introduction
The birth of a child should be an exciting time in every parent’s life. However, this momentous occasion can quickly turn to tragedy in the event that the newborn baby is needlessly injured. It’s important to have a Mesa birth injury lawyer by your side when errors made by medical professionals lead to severe and lasting injuries in newborns. Sometimes errors can create grave issues such as cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, permanent brain damage, deformities and even death.
Families that place their trust in a medical professional, and sustain injury due to that professional’s negligence, should have the right to recover damages against the professional. In most instances, medical professionals carry malpractice insurance in order to compensate individuals damaged by their mistakes. An Arizona birth injury attorney can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
What Type of Case is Birth Trauma?
Birth trauma cases fall under the rubric of medical malpractice. This means that physicians can only be held liable for birth trauma if their negligence directly caused it. The key to proving negligence in a birth trauma case is showing that the medical professional responsible for the birth injury failed to act in the same manner as a reasonable medical professional would if situated similarly. For East Valley residents, a Mesa birth injury lawyer is best situated to assist with such a matter.
What Injuries Can Happen at Birth?
There are two common types of birth injuries that occur. The first is called hypoxia or asphyxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain. When a baby is born with a lack of oxygen to the brain, it’s known as birth depression. A greater lack of oxygen can cause more significant injuries. A greater lack of oxygen can be caused by:
- Compression of the umbilical cord during labor or delivery
- Prolapse of the umbilical cord during delivery
- Separation of the placenta before delivery of the baby
- A rupture of the uterus
These emergencies require a cesarean section which is normally performed in 30 minutes. Under these circumstances however, the cesarean section would need to be performed in 15-20 minutes in order to prevent further brain damage.
Call Personal Injury Attorney Jared Everton at (480) 467-4392 to discuss your case today.
