Birth injury cases account for a number of personal injury claims and lawsuits filed in California. If you or a loved one has experienced a birth injury, here’s what you need to know.
What is a birth injury?
A birth injury is harm to a baby or mother during pregnancy or delivery. Birth injuries can affect the health of the child for their entire life and result in high medical bills.
What are some of the examples of these injuries?
One of the most common types of birth injuries is brachial plexus palsy, which occurs when the nerves that control arm and shoulder movements get damaged. Other examples include damage to neck muscles or ligaments, skull fractures, broken collarbones, eye problems such as blindness and more.
What are the causes of birth injuries?
Birth injuries can result from a number of different factors, one of them being medical malpractice, which often leads to personal injury claims. If a child’s doctor or the hospital where they are born does not meet professional standards, they may experience a birth injury.
The other causes of birth injuries are often related to medical conditions that are present at birth and beyond, such as genetic abnormalities or fetal diseases. Additionally, issues such as poor nutrition, drug use during pregnancy and other personal health conditions can contribute to the risk of experiencing a birth injury.
Can medical professionals correct birth injuries?
Yes. It is important to remember that not all birth injuries can get corrected or treated, but the earlier a child receives treatment for their condition after being born, the better chance they have of recovering fully.
Sometimes, birth injuries are unavoidable. However, it is important to remember that some of them are easy to correct, and it’s possible to prevent many of them when the physician delivering a baby does their job correctly.