Birth Injuries

Birth Injuries

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ATTORNEYS IN ARIZONA

During labor and delivery, there are several types of injuries that could occur. In some cases, these injuries are unavoidable and are the natural results of the trauma of being born. In other cases, however, the injuries are the result of an error on the part of a doctor or nurse. If they did something or failed to do something which resulted in harm to the infant or mother, a medical malpractice case could be successfully brought against them.

It is important to hold them for negligence in this area because it could prevent another child from suffering from the same thing. It could also ensure that the family of the victim has the finances necessary to cover any medical costs required to help the child recover. There are a variety of possible injuries which can occur during birth, but some are more common and serious, such as brachial plexus injuries, cerebral palsy, umbilical cord compression, and elevated bilirubin. A Phoenix birth injury lawyer from our firm is available to help you in any type of birth injury case.

BRACHIAL PLEXUS INJURIES

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that runs all the way from the neck to the arms and spine. When these nerves are in some way injured, such as during delivery, the victim could be left with permanent damage. A common way this can occur is when the infant’s head, neck, shoulder, or arm is twisted or jerked in a certain way. This can often happen to babies that are larger than average or in cases of a breech delivery. In order to free the baby from the birth canal, the doctor may attempt to use force to pull the baby out of the birth canal.

The four main types of brachial plexus injuries are neurapraxia, neuroma, rupture, and avulsion. Neurapraxia stretches the nerve without completely tearing it. Neuroma is also a stretch injury which can cause scar tissue to build up and press on the nerves. Rupture occurs when the nerve itself tears and avulsion means that the nerve has detached from the spinal cord.

CEREBRAL PALSY

Cerebral palsy is actually not one disorder but an entire group of disorders. Little is known about what causes cerebral palsy but it usually starts while the child is still in the womb or in the first two years of life as the baby’s brain is developing. Some forms of this disorder are caused when the child was not able to get enough oxygen.

In other cases, brain bleeding, a head injury, a brain infection, or severe jaundice could be the culprit. Cerebral palsy can affect the child’s ability to move normally, talk, learn, think, and more. As mentioned before, there are different types of this disorder and they include spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, hypotonic, and mixed. Sometimes the symptoms of cerebral palsy do not arise until the child is two, but they can start to develop as early as three months.

UMBILICAL CORD COMPRESSION

The umbilical cord carries nutrients from the placenta to the baby in the womb. It contains one vein and two arteries and not only provides nutrients but gets rid of waste materials as well. If the umbilical cord is not functioning properly, the baby would not be able to develop properly and may not even survive to full term. One problem that can occur is umbilical cord prolapse. This can occur if the umbilical cord starts to move towards the birth canal during labor.

Sometimes the mother is able to feel this happening or medical staff may actually see it begin to protrude from the vagina. This protrusion is serious because it probably means that the umbilical cord has become compressed, thus cutting off oxygen from the baby. With 1 in 300 births experiencing this type of complication, it is important that doctors and nurses are on the lookout and are able to treat it quickly.

ELEVATED BILIRUBIN

Bilirubin is a naturally-occurring substance in the body. It is created when the liver breaks down old blood cells and then is expelled from the body. When a baby is showing elevated levels of this substance, the result can be a case of jaundice. Jaundice is not an uncommon complication for babies to develop and there are several different causes.

For example, there could be a blockage in the bile duct or the child could have a liver disease or blood disorder. Anything which hinders the body from being able to get rid of bilirubin could result in this occurring. Whatever birth injury your child has suffered from, having a strong legal representative on your side could help ensure that your rights are protected.

CALL OUR TOP-RATED PHOENIX MEDICAL MALPRACTICE FIRM

Our medical malpractice attorneys have a desire to get you the compensation you deserve so that you can move forward with your life. We understand that the negligent actions of others cannot be reversed, but it is our goal to help alleviate this burden for you so that you can focus on what matters most.

Palumbo Wolfe & Palumbo has been named as one of the best plaintiff firms by the US News & World Report and named as the #1 Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Specialty Law Firm in Arizona by the Arizona Business Journal. Over the years, our Phoenix injury firm has recovered millions on behalf of our clients. Let us fight on your behalf. With over 90 years of combined experience, we know what it takes to walk away with a successful verdict or settlement.

For your free case consultation, call our Phoenix birth injury lawyers today.

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The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

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