Philadelphia Birth Injury Attorney

Cerebral Palsy, Erb's Palsy & Birth Injury Cases in Philadelphia

When a family anticipates the birth of their child, they rarely consider that a tragic medical accident could result, causing damage to the child. In the most terrible cases, the damage is permanent. Unfortunately, this does happen and when negligence or lack of proper medical care is the underlying cause, you likely have a medical malpractice case. These cases are very difficult for everyone involved, but must be addressed, as not only could others face the same circumstance in the future, it is likely that the child will now need extensive medical care and treatments. In some cases the injuries will affect the child for the remainder of their lives. If your child has been injured or damaged through negligence in the birth process, it is crucial that you contact a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer from The Law Offices of Steven Laynas in order to evaluate your situation.

Our legal team has over 30 years of experience in assisting injured clients and their families in recovering monetary compensation for damages through medical malpractice lawsuits or claims. These cases can be difficult, as proving negligence takes extensive evidence and sometimes expert witnesses. In some birth injury cases, the negligence is obvious, such as when the attending obstetrician failed to act quickly when a baby was in distress or didn't take the expected medical actions, resulting in brain damage, cerebral palsy, Erb's palsy or other injury to the child. When a doctor does not intervene at crucial moments as other similar medical personnel would under the same circumstances, or as advised in such cases, it is likely negligence has occurred.

One of the most heart-breaking type of birth injuries is Erb's palsy. This results in the paralysis of the arms as it affects the arm's main nerve group. Sometimes Erb's palsy can heal on its own, but there are other times when surgery is needed to correct it. This type of damage can be sustained during a difficult labor. For example, if it was a breech delivery (feet first rather than head first), too much pressure can be placed on the baby's arms. It can also occur if the infant head and neck were pulled to the same side during delivery. If a doctor failed to see this and prevent it, they could be responsible for the injury. Another birth injury is cerebral palsy. Although not necessarily the result of medical malpractice, it can be sustained because of doctor negligence or an error. Cerebral palsy occurs in two in every thousand births and can costs families up to one million dollars in care.

Birth Injury Lawyer in Philadelphia

The injured child often needs extensive medical care after such an injury, and in cases of cerebral palsy or other brain damage cases, depending upon the severity of the physical damage, the injured child may require a lifetime of medical care. The lawsuit or claim for compensation will reflect the damages that the child suffered as well as the financial losses that the family will face in medical care throughout the life of the child. Each case must be evaluated, and it is strongly advised that you act quickly as the documentation in such cases is extremely important. We are prepared to advise you what to expect and how to proceed with your claim.

Contact a Philadelphia birth injury attorney at once if your child has been injured or damaged in the birth process.