If you’re injured by the professional medical care you’re provided, it can lead to tragic results, but if your child suffers a birth injury that was caused by negligence on the part of a medical practitioner or facility, the stakes are even higher. If this is the difficult position you find yourself in, don’t wait to consult with an experienced Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, birth injury attorney.
Medical Malpractice
To bring a successful medical malpractice claim in the State of Pennsylvania, you must be able to prove that the medical professional or medical facility in question failed to adhere to the professional standards – in terms of treatment, care, conditions, and protocols – that other reasonable professionals and facilities provide in similar situations. If they fail to do so and you – or your newborn – are injured in the process, you can seek compensation for the physical, financial, and emotional losses that you experience.
The statute of limitations – or the time limit for bringing a lawsuit against the at-fault party – for medical malpractice in Pennsylvania is a mere two years from the time the injury was sustained or two years from the time of the injury’s reasonable discovery. In other words, time is of the essence.
Brain Injuries at Birth
Head and brain injuries are among the most common birth-related injuries, and the losses associated can translate to a lifetime of mental disabilities, physical disabilities, or both. Brain damage can be caused prior to, during, or after delivery. Severe cases of birth-related brain injuries can cause cerebral palsy (CP), which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes as a constellation of disorders that affect one’s ability to move and maintain one’s balance and posture.
Common Causes
Common causes of brain-damage-birth-injuries that are frequently linked to medical malpractice include all the following:
- Oxygen deprivation during the birth process
- The improper use of delivery tools, such as forceps
- Failure to detect and address fetal distress
- Failure to perform a timely C-section
- Failure to detect and address a prolapsed umbilical cord
The brain requires a continual flow of oxygenated blood, and anything that interrupts this flow can lead to brain damage or death. While some birth injuries are unavoidable, many are the result of medical negligence on the part of medical providers and medical facilities, and having the trusted legal guidance of a practiced birth injury attorney in your corner is the surest means of obtaining the compensation you need to fully address your child’s complete losses.