Massachusetts Birth Injury Lawyer

Massachusetts birth injury lawyer Paul M. King is a leader in personal injury law. For more than 10 years, the Law Office of Paul M. King has offered the highest quality legal service to Tewksbury, Lowell, and surrounding towns in Massachusetts. We are committed to finding justice for families affected by birth injuries and medical malpractice.

Injuries to Mother and Baby

Gestation and pregnancy are critical periods leading up to delivery. During these times, mothers must be carefully monitored to rule out complications and eliminate surprises during birth. Using sonograms, physicians can determine the position of the baby and its growth. Mothers are also tested to ensure the baby’s health. If the mother’s health is compromised, the baby is also at risk. Impeccable timing, precision, and technique are required to ensure a safe delivery.

Delivery Mistakes Causing Birth Injury

Birth is an exciting and stressful time. The mother is entirely dependent on the knowledge and skill of the staff to help her through delivery. But even the best hospitals make mistakes. Errors during delivery that cause birth injuries usually involve:

• Breech birth
• Forceps scars
• Delayed C-section
• Vacuum extraction
• Dystocia, difficult labor
• Response to fetal distress
• Abnormal uterine activity
• Anesthesia administration
• Use of labor-inducing drug

Modern medicine has dramatically lowered the mortality rate of infants and mothers. But the pathology of childbirth and pregnancy are still present, even when the mother is healthy. Birth injuries caused by negligence expose at-fault parties to medical malpractice.

Complications of Labor and Delivery

Mistakes often arise when health care providers are faced with unforeseen complications during birth. These problems may be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Nuchal cord
• Preterm birth
• Uterine rupture
• Placental disease
• Obstetrical hemorrhage
• Umbilical cord prolapse
• Amniotic fluid embolism
• Pelvic sepsis or infection

Once these dangers arise, it is important to act quickly to protect the mother and child. Failure to timely respond to complications may lead to permanent birth injuries.

Birth Injury Examples

In natural childbirth, the baby should be positioned to emerge head-first from the birth canal. Use of birthing tools to open the birth canal, provide suction for the head, and pull out the baby can lead to injury. These mistakes often caused injuries such as:

• Erb’s palsy
• Brain damage
• Cerebral palsy
• Shoulder dystocia
• Thrombocytopenia
• Respiratory distress
• Hypoxia, fetal death

The head and shoulder of the baby are very fragile. Pulling on an arm or using excessive force to extract the baby can cause brachial nerve damage from crushing the neck area between the head and shoulder. Injuring this nerve center may permanently impair motor skills and learning.

Future Costs of Birth Injury

Negligent health care providers fall below a legal standard when their mistakes injure the mother or child. Because obstetricians are considered specialists, they are held to a higher standard. Any breach results in medical malpractice liability . A birth injury requires extensive medical treatment and continuing care. Costs to resuscitate the mother, incubate the baby, and provide neonatal intensive care are expensive. Innocent parents should not have to bankrupt themselves for someone else’s mistake. In birth injury cases, it is essential to prove the future costs of raising a special needs child. An experienced attorney can help you win compensation for these costs.

Consult a Medical Malpractice Attorney for Help

If you have suffered a birth injury caused by medical malpractice, experienced birth injury attorney Paul M. King can help. As a sole practitioner, Attorney King provides the individualized attention and personal attention you need. The Law Office of Paul M. King has successfully handled all types of birth injury cases, helping Massachusetts families get back on their feet. Call (978) 851-5145 for a free consultation or contact us online.