Birth injuries occur during childbirth due to medical negligence, affecting both the mother and the baby. Injuries during pregnancy, labor, and delivery cause serious injuries. In the most serious cases, a birth injury can impact the child for the rest of their life. When you or your newborn suffer injuries during birth due to medical negligence, speak to a Bangor birth injury lawyer about your right to compensation.
Allegations of medical negligence are difficult to prove; obtaining a successful verdict or settlement requires an excellent birth injury lawyer. Our compassionate and experienced medical malpractice attorney can help hold negligent healthcare professionals responsible and fight to get you a favorable case outcome.
What Are Common Birth Injuries?
While birth injuries happen in various ways, they mainly happen due to negligence by healthcare professionals. When healthcare professionals fail to prepare or act appropriately during a child’s birth, it can cause harm to a baby and its mother. Babies often suffer broken bones, Erb’s palsy, nerve damage, and Cerebral palsy during childbirth. Sometimes, the mother or baby die from their injuries.
How Do Birth Injuries Occur?
While it is not always clear when medical negligence causes the birth injury, it often occurs because of a healthcare provider’s careless actions. Common causes of birth injuries include the provider’s failure to:
- Monitor the fetal heart rate
- Respond to fetal distress
- Use birth tools such as forceps or vacuums properly
- Identify and treat infections
- Respond to preterm birth
- Properly administer medication
- Perform a C-section
Many of these injuries result in permanent disabilities, altered motor skills, and paralysis, often requiring extensive medical care or rehabilitation. When your child is hurt during birth, contact a dedicated attorney in Bangor to determine who is legally liable.
Filing a Birth Injury Lawsuit in Maine
To bring a lawsuit for medical negligence for a birth injury, the plaintiff must prove that the professional owed a duty to the patient and breached that duty, causing an injury and subsequent damages. A successful birth injury lawsuit can reimburse injured people as well as their families for their losses, including medical bills, emotional trauma, pain, suffering, and lost income for caregivers.
Anyone filing a birth injury claim in Maine must do so within three years of the incident according to 24 Maine Revised Code § 2902. The court will not consider a claim not filed within this time frame, making it impossible to recover compensation. A diligent lawyer in Bangor could file a claim promptly to ensure the maximum financial recovery following a birth injury.
Work With a Seasoned Birth Injury Attorney in Bangor
When medical negligence causes your child’s injury during birth, speak to a Bangor birth injury lawyer about filing a legal claim. Birth injury cases are difficult cases to prove, and hospitals often deny allegations of negligence. Fortunately, our years of experience representing plaintiffs in birth injury cases and other medical negligence cases give us the knowledge, skills, and compassion to fight for you.
Your child deserves the best care, and a successful verdict or settlement could provide you with the funds to get them the treatment they need. Do not hesitate to reach out to a personal injury attorney following a birth injury. Call today to schedule a consultation with our legal team members.
