Birth Injury Lawsuits
Baltimore, Maryland & Delaware
The birth of your child can be one of the happiest moments of your life. Seeing this new person can fill your heart with a love that is unmatched by any other. Unfortunately, sometimes this moment is marred by an injury to your baby during birth. When this happens, hope can turn to fear, and happiness to sorrow. Instead of a happy, healthy baby, you now have a child who faces a difficult life and may require a lifetime of care. When this injury occurs as a result of medical malpractice, the person or persons responsible for the injury should provide for your injured child.
If your child suffered a birth injury in Maryland or Delaware, please contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, PC to learn how a birth injury lawsuit can help you and your child.
Mothers and Modern Medicine
During pregnancy, a woman may see her doctor more often than any other time in her life. She visits the doctor every month at first, then twice a month, then every week, and, in some cases, every day until the baby is born. Doctors and nurses are constantly checking the mother and baby for signs of trouble, performing tests and collecting data. Women are encouraged to have their babies in the hospital where they can be monitored and complications can be quickly addressed.
However, despite all this intervention on the part of doctors, birth injuries do occur, often because a doctor made an inappropriate decision or failed to successfully perform a procedure during birth.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a blanket term used to describe many disorders that affect a child's movement and muscle coordination. Cerebral palsy is a permanent disorder that cannot be cured. It is caused by damage to a baby's brain during development or early childhood. In many cases, it can be traced to something that happened during or immediately after childbirth. Often, an oxygen deficiency due to a difficult or prolonged birth is responsible, and in these cases cerebral palsy may be the result of negligence or a poor decision on the part of a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider.
Erb's Palsy
Erb's palsy is when a child is unable to control the movement of his or her arms. The cause of Erb's palsy is brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is the nerve bundle where nerves from the spine connect with nerves from the arm. It can be damaged when too much force is put on the baby's head, neck, or arms during birth. Sometimes children recover from Erb's palsy without surgery, but often it requires a nerve graft that must be performed before the child reaches the age of one to increase the likelihood of recovery. But even surgery does not guarantee full recovery, and a child may be faced with a lifetime of disability.
Still the Beginning of a New Life
If your child suffered a birth injury due a doctor's error, it does not necessarily mean your child will not live a full and happy life. You and your child may still be able to enjoy many of the things children and parents enjoy together, but your child may need lifelong special care, with associated expenses that can be devastating for a family.
A birth injury lawsuit can help ensure that your child gets the care he or she needs to live as happy a life as possible. To learn more, please call or email the Maryland and Delaware personal birth injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, PC today for a free consultation.
