A newborn baby in the NICU with a breathing tube after a birth injury

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Birth and Pregnancy Injuries

Were you or your child injured during prenancy or birth?
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Which Personal Injury Law Firm Handles Pregnancy and Birth Injuries

The birth of a child is something parents and their families eagerly anticipate. While most childbirths are performed flawlessly, there are times when negligence and medical malpractice can occur leading to a child or parent suffering a personal injury during birth. It is devastating when we learn that a family or parent has to carry on with a newborn baby who has been injured during birth due to the negligence of others.

When a pregnancy or birth injury occurs a medical malpractice lawsuit may be filed. The personal injury attorneys at Schiffman Firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are experts in representing families and children that are suffering due to negligence by doctors, nurses, or any healthcare providers during pregnancy and childbirth.

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If you or your child has suffered a birth injury due to the negligence of another, Schiffman Firm may be able to help.

Our attorneys are experienced in navigating legal matters involving healthcare. Our experience helps families receive the compensation and recovery they deserve and our team will work with you to ensure those monies are available to the injured child when they become an adult.

Contact us today for a free review of your case – there is no fee for our services unless we help you recover money from your situation.

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An overview and introduction

What is a birth injury and how does a personal injury or birth lawyer help?

A birth injury is an injury sustained by either the child or mother during pregnancy or the birthing process. These injuries can range from minor to life-altering. A common injury sustained during childbirth is a traumatic brain injury or TBI – this is an injury that can last a lifetime.

The attorneys at Schiffman Firm are experts in helping families receive compensation that ensure long-term medical costs and other financial commitments are not the family’s burden to bear as the child enters adulthood.

No matter the type or severity of the injury, any family or child that suffers an injury during pregnancy or birth has the right to seek justice and compensation. If your family has been affected by a childbirth injury, contact the personal injury attorneys at Schiffman Firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today for a free evaluation and review of your case.

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Negiglence, Improper Forcep Use, Asphyxia

What are some common causes and different types of injuries a child can suffer during birth?

According to a study performed by the National Healthcare Quality Report (AHRQ), of every 1,000 infants born in the United State, 6 to 8 will be born with some sort of injury 1. This means that approximately 1 in every 9.714 people in the US are born with a birth injury.

While complications can arise with any medical procedure, including pregnancy and childbirth, there are times when negligence and improper use of medical devices cause injury leading to a medical malpractice lawsuit. Nearly 50% of all birth and pregnancy injuries are potentially avoidable by identifying and planning for the proper obstetrical risk factors.

You deserve justice and compensation if you or your child were injured during childbirth or pregnancy.

While financial compensation may never correct the harm that was done, it can help relieve the financial burden that comes along with any type of long-term medical issue. The personal injury attorneys at Schiffman Firm in Pittsburgh are experts in representing victims in medical malpractice lawsuits, including those that involve personal injuries caused by negligence during childbirth and pregnancy.

Our attorneys are ready to make your case our cause, contact us today for a free review and evaluation of your case.

  1. Birth Injury Statistics – BirthInjuryGuide.org

Common causes of injuries during to infants during childbirth and pregnancy include:

  • Failure to correctly follow standard delivery room standards and procedures
  • Improper or incorrect delivery room drugs and medication provided to a child’s mother during childbirth or pregnancy
  • Negligence when monitoring delivery room patients
  • Improper use of forceps during childbirth procedure
  • Improper use of a vacuum during childbirth
  • Delayed or improperly performed C-section (Cesarean delivery)
  • Forcefully delaying vaginal birth
  • Improper monitoring of fetal and mother heart rates
  • Failure to diagnose possible obstetrical risk factors
  • Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy HIE caused by lack of oxygen being delivered to the infant’s brain
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Broken Bones, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Cord Injuries

What are some common birth and pregnancy injuries?

No parent or family expects to experience an injury during birth or pregnancy.

As new or existing parents prepare to welcome a new baby into their families, they work closely with a team of doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers for at least nine months to ensure the process and procedure will go as smoothly as possible.

While most childbirths and pregnancies are routine, there are occasions where oversight and medical malpractice can appear and potentially cause injury to the mother, child, or both.

Common injuries seen during childbrith and pregnancy include:

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a brain disorder that causes motor deficiencies. Brain damage before, during, or after birth can cause cerebral palsy

Infant Spinal Cord Injuries and Damage

Infant spinal cord damage is rare, accounting for only five percent of all spinal cord damage cases in the United States. When they do occur, however, the results of such a traumatic injury can leave children with catastrophic damage and a host of long-term medical issues.

Infant Subconjunctival Hemorrhage (SCHN)

An infant subconjunctival hemorrhage (SCHN) is a medical condition that happens when the small blood vessels located just beneath the eye rupture. When a blood vessel ruptures, blood pools beneath the sclera (the clear membrane that covers the eye). The result is a bright red spot on the eye. This is sometimes called “red eye.”

Intracranial Hemorrhage

An infant brain bleed, better known as a brain hemorrhage or intracranial hemorrhage, is a type of disorder that can be caused by a birth injury. These injuries must be treated immediately to ensure the best possible outcome and to avoid severe long-term health complications.

Caput Succedaneum

Caput succedaneum occurs when a baby’s scalp is swollen after delivery.

This birth injury is what causes the “conehead” shape of a newborn baby’s head. During childbirth, especially during head-first deliveries, the pressure exerted on a baby’s head can damage the scalp. Fluid may then build up, which causes caput succedaneum and may lead to other types of birth injuries as well.

Infant Cephalohematoma

Trauma during labor and delivery can cause cephalohematoma or damage to blood vessels on the skull.

Infant Broken Bones

Many families find that bruising is a normal part of the process of bringing a new human into the world.

Labor and delivery are difficult and can result in minor injuries to the infant. Infant broken bones, however, may indicate that medical malpractice happened during the delivery process that was outside the norm.

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy HIE

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of brain injury that affects newborns. It can lead to serious and even permanent brain damage.

Brachial Plexus Injury

Brachial plexus injuries are often the result of birth trauma. They can impact your child’s sensation and movement in the affected arm.

Information provided by: Birth Injury Types – BirthInjuryGuide.org

Were You Or Your Child Injured During Birth?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a hospital or doctor by sued for a birth or pregnancy injury?

Yes.

In fact, numerous parties could be at fault during any medical malpractice case – including:

  • Doctors
  • Nurses
  • Surgeons
  • Medical assistants
  • Anesthesiologists
  • Pharmacists
  • Hospitals and hospital staff

In any type of lawsuit, including personal injury cases, the circumstances and situation leading to the incident need to be dissected and reconstructed for a jury to determine who was at fault. This type of process takes skill and expertise and should be handled by an attorney or law firm with a proven track record in representing clients with personal injury cases, including birth injuries caused by medical malpractice.

The attorneys at Schiffman Firm have over 100 hundred years of combined trial experience and have successfully represented thousands of personal injury victims. Contact our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers for a free review of your case today.

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Our attorneys are always ready to listen to your case. Contact us today for a free review of your case - you don't pay anything for our legal services unless you win your case.

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