The birth of a child is usually one of the most highly anticipated occasions of someone’s life. Most families expect to celebrate a new addition to the family, but when medical negligence leads to injury, that celebratory moment can be replaced with heartbreak, fear, and utter confusion.
Birth injuries can have lifelong consequences for both the child and their family, and they happen more often than many people realize. If you suspect your child’s injury was caused by a preventable mistake, the birth injury attorneys at Dudley DeBosier are here to help your family find answers and seek justice.
Was Medical Negligence Responsible for Your Child’s Birth Injury in Lafayette?
Medical professionals are expected to uphold a high standard of care throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery. When they fail to do so, the results can be devastating. Some birth injuries happen because of unexpected complications, but others are 100% preventable. If your child suffered harm because a medical provider didn’t act appropriately, that may constitute medical negligence.
Common examples of negligence leading to birth injuries include:
- Failure to Monitor or Treat Fetal Distress:If a baby shows signs of distress—such as a drop in heart rate or lack of oxygen—doctors must respond immediately. A delay in treating these warning signs can cause permanent injury.
- Failure to Order C-Section or Delayed C-Section:In high-risk deliveries, a timely cesarean section can prevent harm to both mother and baby. Delaying this decision or failing to act quickly during an emergency can result in irreparable damage.
- Improper Use of Forceps or Vacuum Extractors:These tools can assist in difficult deliveries, but improper use can injure the baby’s head, neck, or nerves.
- Medication Errors:Administering incorrect dosages of labor-inducing drugs like Pitocin or giving medications that harm the baby can lead to serious complications for the mother and baby.
- Negligence in Prenatal Care:Failing to diagnose conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or infections during pregnancy may contribute to complications at birth.
- Other Labor or Delivery Mistakes:Poor communication among staff, failure to follow hospital protocols, or inexperience can all play a role in preventable birth injuries.
Birth Injuries That Might Result from Medical Negligence
When medical providers make mistakes, newborns can suffer a wide range of injuries—some of which may not be obvious at first. It’s important to recognize and understand what types of injuries may result from negligent care. These include:
- Bone Fractures:A baby’s fragile bones can break if too much force is used during delivery or if they become stuck in the birth canal.
- Nerve Damage:Excessive pulling or improper delivery techniques can damage nerves in the neck, shoulders, or arms.
- Brachial Plexus Injuries (Erb’s Palsy, Klumpke’s Palsy):These nerve injuries can cause weakness, loss of motion, or paralysis in the baby’s arm or hand.
- Cerebral Palsy:Often caused by a lack of oxygen during birth, cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that affects movement, coordination, and muscle tone.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE):This brain injury results from oxygen deprivation and can lead to severe developmental issues or death.
- Brain Damage:Delayed responses to complications like umbilical cord problems or fetal distress can also cause irreversible brain injury.
The Long-Term Consequences of Birth Injuries
Birth injuries don’t just hurt for a moment in time. They can change the course of a child’s entire life. Many children with birth injuries face lifelong challenges that require ongoing medical attention, therapies, and support.
Some of the most common long-term consequences include:
- Developmental Delays: Difficulty reaching milestones in speech, mobility, or cognition
- Cognitive and Physical Disabilities: Learning challenges, limited mobility, or the need for specialized education and care
- Emotional and Behavioral Challenges: Anxiety, frustration, or behavior disorders stemming from neurological damage or physical limitations
The financial impact on families can also be overwhelming, and may include:
- Medical expenses, such as surgeries, doctors’ visits, and medications
- Ongoing therapies and special education services
- Assistive devices and adaptive equipment
- Home and vehicle modifications to accommodate mobility needs
- Lost earning capacity for both the child and caregiving parent(s)
- Lifelong care costs
Your family shouldn’t have to bear these burdens alone, especially if the injury was caused by someone’s negligence.
How the Lafayette Birth Injury Lawyers at Dudley DeBosier Can Help
When your child is injured by medical negligence, the emotional, financial, and legal challenges are overwhelming. At Dudley DeBosier, we have the experience and resources to guide your family through this difficult time and fight for the justice you deserve.
Our team can help by:
- Investigating the Birth and Gathering Evidence: We obtain medical records, interview staff, and consult with respected medical experts to understand what went wrong.
- Building a Strong Case and Proving Fault: We show how negligence occurred and connect that negligence to your child’s injuries.
- Calculating Your Family’s Full Damages: From economic losses to pain and suffering, we ensure all losses are accounted for.
- Negotiating With Insurance Companies: We handle all communication and fight for the maximum settlement possible, so you don’t have to.
- Bringing Your Case to Court if Necessary: If insurers won’t offer a fair settlement, we’re ready to take your case to trial and aggressively fight for it there.
Let Us Fight for Your Family
If your child suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence in Lafayette, don’t go through this devastating time alone. Contact Dudley DeBosier today to schedule your free consultation. We’ve witnessed the devastation so many families face after a birth injury, making our fight for victims personal. Let us get justice for your child.
