Welcoming a new child into the world should be a time for celebration. For some families, however, birth is tragic. When doctors and other medical professionals are negligent, they can cause injuries to either the mother or baby, some of which end up being fatal.
As experienced Miami medical malpractice lawyers, we have litigated some of the toughest birth injury cases around. Contact us to begin your case.
Types of Birth Injuries
Mother and child can be injured in many different ways. For mothers, doctors often fail to properly diagnose complications. As a result, they don’t respond or respond too late. Some problems mothers experience during labor and delivery include:
- Internal bleeding, which can lead to death if untreated
- High blood pressure, which can cause a stroke if not treated
- Improper pain management
Babies can also suffer injuries, especially when doctors fail to monitor fetal distress. Children have suffered:
- Oxygen deprivation, as a result of delayed C-section
- Damaged nerves in the brachial plexus region, as a result of a doctor tugging too hard on the baby’s arm
- Broken bones
- Skull injuries due to misuse of forceps
Why Birth Injury Cases Are Complicated
One problem is identifying whether something went wrong during pregnancy or during labor and delivery. For example, if your child suffered oxygen deprivation to the brain, he or she might have developmental defects. But it could be years before you realize your child isn’t talking at the right age or has trouble with coordination and balance. At that point, many parents never connect the developmental delays to medical errors made in the delivery room.
There are also stringent timelines that parents need to meet if they want to bring a lawsuit. Generally, Florida’s statute of limitations gives parents 2 years to sue. The clock starts from the date of the incident or the date when the parents should have reasonably uncovered the birth injury. However, Florida also has a statute of repose that cuts off all lawsuits against doctors after 4 years.
In some cases, parents might have longer to sue if their child was injured, but these rules are very complicated. It is best to meet with an attorney as soon as you suspect something is wrong.
Contact Us Today
Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein has brought many successful lawsuits against medical providers. We understand how difficult it can be to see your child suffering or to lose a spouse during delivery. We do everything in our power to hold negligent medical professionals accountable.
To get started, please call 305-371-2692 to schedule a free consultation.