Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorneys

The majority of pregnancies in the United States end with the birth of a healthy baby, but this is not the case for every mother and child. When an infant sustains damage during the birthing process, the anticipation a parent feels before the delivery can turn into devastation in a heartbeat. Many factors contribute to the occurrence of Chicago birth injuries, such as infections during pregnancy, a lack of oxygen during delivery or a breech birth. Medical malpractice attorneys are aware that an alarming number of infant injuries are caused by the negligence of medical professionals.

Oak Park Birth Injury Lawyers

The law defines medical negligence as a lack of reasonable judgment while providing care, deviating from standards and causing injury to a patient. Examples include surgical errors, anesthesia errors and other medication errors, as well as unnecessary or unauthorized medical procedures and breeches of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Patients are entitled to adequate health care, and physicians and other health care providers must abide by standards to ensure proper treatment. Birth injuries during pregnancy or delivery are often the result of carelessness, poor judgment or medical mistakes such as the following:

• Lack of proper prenatal care
• Failure to diagnose and treat maternal diabetes, hypertension or infection
• Delayed response to bleeding, fetal heart monitor changes or fetal distress
• Improper treatment of preeclampsia, infections or placental abruption
• Incorrect use of a vacuum extractor or forceps

While some of these errors cause mild or temporary injuries, such as facial paralysis, infections or bone fractures, others are directly related to severe handicaps, permanent disabilities and even death.

A Parent’s Legal Rights

There is legal recourse for a mother who has sustained significant harm to herself or her child during pregnancy or childbirth as a result of a provider’s mistake. When a doctor or a nurse causes the pain and suffering of a newborn, current and future expenses and medical resources should be provided by the responsible party. A child who develops permanent disabilities as a result of a medical error may be eligible for lifetime compensation.

If you believe your newborn’s injuries may be the result of a medical professional’s negligence, contact the birth injury attorneys at Cary J. Wintroub and Associates to discuss your legal rights in a free consultation.