Welcoming a baby into the world should be one of life’s happiest events. But when medical mistakes lead to birth injuries, families are left with heartbreak, uncertainty, and a lifetime of challenges.
At Dudley DeBosier, we understand how devastating these cases can be. We’re here to help families in Shreveport and throughout Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish, and the broader Northwest Louisiana region get to the heart of what happened to their child by exposing the truth, protecting their legal rights, and securing the resources they need to care for their entire family.
Signs and Symptoms of Birth Injuries
Some birth injuries are apparent immediately after delivery, while others may take weeks or even months to become noticeable. Parents must document their concerns as soon as something seems off about their child.
In addition, seeking a second opinion and keeping a detailed record of all medical visits, imaging tests, and specialist referrals is important. Early recognition will help determine whether a preventable error led to the victim’s birth injury and help form a treatment plan.
Possible signs of a birth injury include:
- Difficulty Breathing: Respiratory distress during or shortly after birth
- Bruising and Swelling: Especially around the head, neck, or shoulders
- Seizures: An indication of potential brain trauma or oxygen deprivation
- Poor Reflexes: Abnormal or absent responses to stimuli
- Muscle Weakness: Limited movement in arms or legs
- Feeding Issues: Trouble sucking, swallowing, or latching
- Developmental Delays: Missing early milestones like sitting up, crawling, or walking
- Coordination Issues: Trouble with balance or fine motor skills
- Cognitive Impairment: Learning challenges or difficulty processing information
- Speech and Language Delays: Trouble forming words or understanding language
- Behavioral Issues: Including frustration, inattention, or emotional outbursts
If you notice any of these signs, trust your instincts. Get your child evaluated by a qualified pediatrician or neurologist immediately.
Shreveport families have access to specialized pediatric care at LSU Health Shreveport and Willis-Knighton Medical Center, where experienced neurologists and developmental specialists can provide comprehensive evaluations.
How Medical Negligence Can Lead to Birth Injury
Medical providers are responsible for ensuring the safety of both mother and baby throughout pregnancy and delivery. When they fail to meet appropriate standards of care, the outcome can be life-altering. Birth injuries linked to negligence often stem from poor communication, delayed decisions, or improper responses during critical moments.
Examples of negligence that may lead to a birth injury include:
- Inadequate Prenatal Care: Failing to identify or treat high-risk conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or infections
- Lack of Monitoring or Treatment for Fetal Distress: Ignoring warning signs on fetal heart monitors or delaying intervention
- Delayed C-Section or Failure to Perform One: Waiting too long to transition to surgical delivery during an emergency
- Misuse of Delivery Tools (Forceps or Vacuum Extractors): Excessive force or incorrect placement leading to physical trauma
- Medication Errors: Mistakes with drugs used during labor, including incorrect dosages or contraindicated medications
- Failure to Manage Labor or Delivery Complications: Mishandling issues like umbilical cord compression, breech positioning, or shoulder dystocia
Common Types of Birth Injuries We See in Shreveport
Every birth injury is serious and emotionally devastating to the families, but some result in long-lasting consequences. Our team has worked with families in Shreveport and throughout the region, including families who traveled from surrounding parishes like Webster, DeSoto, and Bossier to deliver at our area’s major medical centers, who are facing a myriad of diagnoses and medical complications caused by delivery room errors.
Here are some of the more frequent injuries we encounter:
- Cerebral Palsy: Often the result of oxygen deprivation during delivery, this condition can affect movement, coordination, and posture
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): A serious brain injury caused by insufficient oxygen and blood flow during labor
- Brain Damage: Can be caused by delaying treatment of fetal distress or undiagnosed conditions during pregnancy
- Fractures and Broken Bones: Often from difficult or improperly managed births, particularly when excessive force is used
- Brachial Plexus Injuries (Erb’s Palsy, Klumpke’s Palsy): Nerve damage that impairs arm or hand function, often caused by shoulder trauma during delivery
- Nerve Damage: Affecting facial movement, limb function, or other motor skills, especially when tools like forceps or vacuums are improperly used
Many of these injuries occur during deliveries at our region’s primary birthing hospitals, including Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, Willis-Knighton Medical Center, and CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier.
As Shreveport serves as the regional medical hub for Northwest Louisiana, families often travel from smaller communities for specialized obstetric care, making proper communication and coordination even more important.
Pursuing Compensation After a Birth Injury in Shreveport
As if the health aspects of birth injuries aren’t damaging enough, they also impact every aspect of your family’s life. Ongoing treatment, education, and caregiving needs can strain parents financially. At Dudley DeBosier, we fight to recover full compensation for every dollar your family may need now and in the future.
Here are the types of compensation our team may seek for your birth injury case:
- Current and Future Medical Expenses: Including hospital care, surgeries, medications, and specialist visits
- Therapies: Such as physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy
- Special Education Support: Tailored services for children with developmental or learning challenges
- Caretaking Services: Professional or in-home support for daily living
- Assistive Equipment: Including wheelchairs, braces, communication aids, and other devices
- Home and Vehicle Modifications: Ramps, lifts, and other adaptations for accessibility
- Lost Future Earning Capacity: When a child’s long-term ability to work is compromised
- Pain and Suffering: To account for emotional distress and reduced quality of life
For families in the Shreveport area, we understand the local resources available and can help you access specialized services, from pediatric therapy programs to educational support systems within Caddo Parish schools and surrounding districts.
The Shreveport Birth Injury Lawyers at Dudley DeBosier Can Help
Nobody should take on a birth injury case alone. The cases are complex, and the emotional toll on families is too much to add to an already devastating situation.
When hospitals and insurers fight hard to deny responsibility, you need experienced birth injury lawyers to go toe-to-toe with them on your behalf. At Dudley DeBosier, our Shreveport injury lawyers are committed to standing by your side every step of the way.
We can help your family by:
- Investigating the Cause of the Injury: We’ll gather medical records, review delivery room logs, and identify missteps.
- Consulting with Experts: We’ll collaborate with medical specialists who can testify about standard of care violations and the long-term outlook of your child’s condition.
- Negotiating with Insurance Companies: We’ll advocate for a settlement that reflects your child’s full needs.
- Taking the Case to Trial if Needed: We’re fully prepared to fight for your family in court if that’s what it takes to get justice.
- Fighting for Maximum Compensation: Our fight allows your family to focus on your child’s care without worrying about financial strain.
Serving Families Throughout Northwest Louisiana
Our attorneys represent families across the region who received care at our area’s major delivery hospitals. Whether you’re from Shreveport, Bossier City, or traveled from surrounding parishes for specialized obstetric care, we understand the unique circumstances of birth injury cases in our medical community.
Contact Us Today
If you believe your child suffered a preventable birth injury, it’s time to take the next step. Contact Dudley DeBosier to schedule your free consultation and learn how we can help your family move forward.
