Yonkers Birth Injury Lawyer
Complications can arise with any birth, but families should not have to prepare for their child being injured due to an avoidable mistake by a physician or other medical professional. If you suspect your infant is a victim of a birth injury, contact Lever & Ecker, PLLC or a free consultation.
Why Choose Our Yonkers Birth Injury Attorneys?
Our skilled team of Yonkers birth injury lawyers have over 50 years of experience, along with the unique tools and resources to investigate the circumstances of your baby’s injuries or recent diagnosis. We will discover who or what is responsible for causing the harm. If evidence of medical malpractice is detected, such as physician incompetence or improper use of birthing tools, we can pursue a personal injury claim on your behalf. Our law firm takes birth injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning parents don’t have to pay anything for our services, unless we win.
How Do Birth Injuries Occur?
While birth injuries are often preventable, trauma is more likely when:
- A baby is large (over 8 lbs, 3 oz), or in an abnormal birthing position (breech).
- Born prematurely (before 37 weeks). Babies’ bodies are more fragile, and as a result, more prone to injury.
- The size or shape of the mother’s pelvis or birth canal makes a vaginal birth difficult, known as cephalopelvic disproportion.
- Labor is long or difficult.
- The mother is significantly overweight.
- The infant is delivered via vacuum, forceps, or C-section.
When a serious preventable birth injury occurs, it is often caused by the negligence of an obstetrician, doctor, surgeon, or nurse responsible for the birth. The acting physician can be considered negligent for failing to monitor the mother and child’s vital signs, detect problems, or take proper emergency action. A nurse might be negligent in caring for a newborn, or a hospital for failing to follow proper protocol.
What are Different Types of Birth Injuries?
Some of the most common types of birth injuries associated with medical negligence or errors, include:
- Cerebral Palsy: a severe muscle disorder affecting motor function and causing varying levels of disability. Cerebral palsy can be caused by birth trauma. In cases of negligence, the baby may lose oxygen to the brain due to a delayed C-section or failure to monitor vital signs during labor and delivery.
- Erb’s Palsy: a type of brachial plexus injury, but it specifically affects the upper arm. It can cause weakness or sometimes paralysis in the shoulder or upper arm area, but the child usually can move their hands or fingers. Many babies are successfully treated with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and hydrotherapy, but severe Erb’s palsy may require nerve grafts, nerve decompression, or other surgical interventions.
- Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): a lack of oxygen to a baby’s brain causes brain damage or, in extreme cases, death. HIE is an extremely serious condition that can occur at all stages of pregnancy, and can lead to birth injuries like cerebral palsy or hypoxia.
- Fractures: a broken clavicle (collar bone) is the most common birth-related fracture, and may occur while delivering an infant’s shoulder due to dystocia or during a breech delivery.
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): damage to a specific area of the spinal cord can range from mild bruising to complete tears, can result in symptoms of paralysis or weakness. An SCI can occur during childbirth if a doctor strains a baby’s neck by pulling or twisting it, or using tools during delivery.
- Facial paralysis: an infant may experience facial paralysis due to the improper use of forceps or pressure exerted on their face during labor or delivery. The paralysis usually resolves within a few weeks if the facial nerves were merely damaged, but torn nerves may require surgery.
Contact Our Experienced Birth Injury Lawyers in Yonkers, NY Today
If your child has suffered an injury requiring medical treatment during pregnancy or childbirth, the personal injury lawyers at Lever & Ecker, PLLC will ensure the healthcare providers responsible are held accountable. Call our Yonkers, New York law firm at (914) 288-9191 or (718) 933-3632, or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
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