Birth Injury
The definition of a birth injury is: a physical injury that is sustained during the birth process. It is estimated that around .5% of babies born will suffer some degree of a birth injury. Contributing factors of a birth injury can be divided into two separate classifications: those due to the baby and mother and those due to external events.
Birth injuries that are attributed to either the baby or the mother are usually unpreventable such as those sustained due to: a large baby, a premature birth, a disproportionately sized pelvis, or normal labor complications. These circumstances may cause many injuries to which there is no available legal compensation.
On the other hand, birth injuries that are due to external events are oftentimes avoidable thus making them eligible for legal compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. Some common avoidable mistakes that result in birth injuries are: failure to adequately respond to birth complications i.e. missed opportunity for a caesarian section, improperly prescribed/ administered drugs, misuse of medical devices such as forceps and improper care during the birthing process.
Birth injury cases are very sensitive and must be given special consideration by a qualified Oklahoma birth injury attorney. Atkins & Markoff are experienced birth injury lawyers located in Oklahoma City ready to help you today. Please contact us by filling out our contact form or calling us toll free.
Child Birth Complications and Injury
Preparing to bring a new baby into your world takes a lot of financial and emotional commitment. We all want to have a healthy baby without birth complications during the delivery. Unfortunately, birth complications do occur and you should know your legal rights.
If your baby’s health was affected due to the negligence of a doctor or nurse during the birthing of your child you should be compensated. Birth complications include failure to check the status of the umbilical cord prior to delivery, improper or misdiagnosed apgar scoring, failure to check baby’s pulse, failure to rate the baby’s appearance, grimace, respiration and failure to check if the baby is crowning.
If you and your family have been harmed due to the negligence of a hospital physician or nurse during the birth of your child, contact the plaintiff’s personal injury law firm of Atkins & Markoff today. Please call us toll free or fill out our contact form.
Birth Trauma
Birth trauma describes birth injuries to the infant resulting from mechanical forces instilled by the doctor during the process of the birthing. Examples of these mechanical forces are the misuse of forceps, compression, scalpels and traction. Birth injuries account for fewer than 2% of neonatal deaths and still births in the United States. Even with such a low statistic, that still means there will be a birth injury as a direct result of birth trauma 1 in every 1,000 live births.
The most common type of birth injury as a result of birth trauma are abrasions and lacerations inflicted by scalpels, forceps and other birthing instruments.
Catastrophic birth traumas including: Brachial plexus injury, Erbs palsy, Klumpke paralysis and Horner syndrome.
Brachial plexus injuries include fractured clavicle, fractured humerus, subluxation of cervical spine, cervical cord injury and facial palsy. Erbs palsy is usually associated with lack of shoulder motion in the infant. And all though it is the rarest, the most catastrophic injury occurs from Klumke paralysis.
If you or a loved one has been victimized due to the negligence of your doctor or attending physician, contact the personal injury trial lawyers at Atkins & Markoff. Please fill out our contact form to discuss your birth trauma claim today.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a developmental disability in which muscle coordination and body movement is affected usually due to congenital damage to the brain sustained during fetal development; although it can also be brought about from physical injury during the birth process. Cerebral palsy is the leading form of developmental disability in the United States today with around 6,500 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year. That adds up to approximately half a million people currently living with some degree of affliction of cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is not considered a disease or illness, it is a lifelong disability that modern medicine has no cure for. However, through education and therapy a person with cerebral palsy can learn to lessen the negative effects of some of their symptoms. Symptoms of cerebral palsy include: involuntary muscle movement, loss or impairment of sight, hearing, or speech, lack of mobility/ coordination, and seizures.
The specific cause of most cases of cerebral palsy is unknown, it is thought that some form of congenital abnormality gives rise to the majority of cases. However, it is known that on occasion cerebral palsy is a direct result of an injury sustained at birth. In this case a child’s life is permanently affected by an avoidable event.
If you and your family feel that you are the victim of a careless physician causing a birth injury to your child resulting in cerebral palsy, contact the Oklahoma City based birth injury lawyers at Atkins & Markoff. We are here to help, please call us toll free or fill out our contact form.
C-Section Complications – OBGYN Mistakes
A c-section, or cesarean section, is when an incision is made through the abdominal wall and then the uterus to allow for an extraction of the fetus through the opening made by the incision. Due to the inherent nature of all surgeries, complications may arise: Anesthesia complications to the mother as well as the baby, excessive bleeding and failure to follow hospital regulations.
If you and your family have been affected due the negligence of a doctor during a c-section, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact the Oklahoma personal injury law firm of Atkins & Markoff to discuss your medical malpractice claim today. Please call us toll free or fill out our contact form to discuss the c-section complication your family has endured. We are here to help the residents of Oklahoma.