Little Rock Birth Injury Attorney
A Little Rock birth injury attorney can help parents and families of babies born with severe health complications due to the negligence of a health care provider. Babies who are born with serious injuries may face lifelong complications as a result of the effects of their injuries. Affected parents and families of children who have experienced a birth injury may be eligible to recover compensation with the help of a personal injury attorney.
If your child has been injured or killed as a result of a birth injury, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Little Rock birth injury attorney at the Johnson Firm today. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at 501-777-7777 or email us at info@johnsonfirm.law.
There is no cost to speak with us. If you choose to pursue a claim, you pay no upfront fees or expenses. Our fees are based solely on the recovery made on your behalf. If there is no recovery, you pay nothing.
What are Birth Injuries?
Birth injuries are different from birth defects. Birth injuries occur during the labor and delivery process, while birth defects occur prior to childbirth. According to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), there were over 3.9 million births registered in the United States in 2015.
The term “birth injury” most often refers to any damage sustained during pregnancy, during delivery or immediately after delivery.
Contributing doctors and researchers associated with Medscape note that significant birth injury accounts for less than 2 percent of neonatal deaths and stillbirths in the United States. Factors that may lead to a difficult delivery or birth injury include the size of the mother’s pelvis, the baby’s position or the size of the baby.
Other factors may predispose a baby to injury, including:
- A woman’s first pregnancy
- Cephalopelvic disproportion, small maternal stature or maternal pelvic abnormalities
- Prolonged or rapid labor
- A condition characterized by a deficiency of amniotic fluid known as oligohydramnios
- Breech
- Use of mechanical devices such as mid cavity forceps or vacuum to extract the baby from the mother
- Low birth weight or extreme prematurity
- Fetal macrosomia
- Large fetal head
- Fetal anomalies
Some birth injuries may be unavoidable, while others may be the result of serious medical negligence. Likewise, birth injuries may cause lifelong complications that can require ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation, potentially leading to extreme financial costs for the remainder of the child’s life.
Types of Birth Injuries
Common types of birth injuries may include:
- Cerebral palsy – A blanket term commonly used to describe several disorders that affect normal movement, sometimes causing problems with posture, gait, muscle tone, and muscle coordination. Symptoms may include exaggerated reflexes, floppy or rigid limbs, and involuntary motions.
- Erb’s palsy – A type of neonatal brachial plexus palsy that causes a loss of movement in the upper arm. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this type of birth injury may be caused by the pulling of an infant’s neck or head to the side as the baby exits the birth canal, stretching of the infant’s shoulders during head-first delivery, and pressure on the baby’s raised arms during a breech delivery.
- Brain damage
- Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) – A medical condition in which meconium, the earliest form of an infant’s stool, is present in an infant’s lungs during or before childbirth. Symptoms that occur after birth may include rapid or labored breathing, cyanosis, slow heartbeat or a barrel-shaped chest.
- Bone fractures
- Nerve damage
- Facial paralysis
- Bruising
Long-term prognosis for the majority of birth injuries is favorable. However, some birth injuries may require lifelong care to treat the effects of the injury.
Not all birth injury symptoms will appear during infancy and early years of a child’s life. In some cases, birth injuries related to cognition, such as problems with fine motor skills and other developmental disabilities, may not be noticeable until the child begins school.
Why Hire a Birth Injury Attorney in Little Rock?
Large hospitals and corporate health care providers are often equipped with experienced, skilled attorneys working on their behalf, and it may difficult for someone to pursue a birth injury claim without the help of an experienced attorney of their own. In some birth injury cases, more than one party may be liable for injuries sustained, and a birth injury lawyer with Johnson Firm can help affected mothers and families seek compensation for such injuries.
How a Little Rock Birth Injury Attorney Can Help
An experienced birth injury attorney knows that many factors can contribute to complications during childbirth, including the position of the baby, the mother’s health, and the timing of the delivery. Additionally, certain instruments and methods used by the medical team during delivery may contribute to complications and cause injury.
The parents of children who suffered birth injuries due to health care provider negligence may be entitled to compensation for damages, including the child’s:
- Medical expenses
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Scarring or physical deformities caused by the birth defect or treatment
If a child died due to a birth injury, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of their child prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a child
- Funeral expenses
Affected families are encouraged to seek the advice of a Little Rock birth injury attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
