Birth Injury Lawyer

Having a child is one of life’s greatest blessings. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes far too often when a preventable birth injury like takes place. The results are devastating and can include the death of a child or a permanent, life-long disability like CP or cerebral palsy. After a child suffers a birth injury, parents are left in emotional and financial crisis.

Often, a birth injury is caused by medical malpractice. Health care providers have a duty to anticipate potential problems during labor and delivery. They are expected to identify these issues and act in a timely manner to prevent harm. Negligence occurs when obstetrical care providers fail to act in accordance with the standard of care. In essence, they fail to respond potential problems during labor and delivery resulting in a preventable injury.

The skilled birth injury attorneys at TopDog Law are here to help. If you suspect your child or a child of a love one has suffered a birth injury, please contact TopDog Law or CALL (800) 215-7211 to speak with our Philadelphia-based legal team. We are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week and lawsuit consultations are free of charge.

What are the Most Common Types of Birth Injuries? What Birth Injuries do the Philadelphia Birth Injury Lawyers at TopDog Law Handle?

The most serious birth injury that occurs far too frequently is Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy, or CP, is not a disease. Rather it is permanent brain damage caused during pregnancy, labor or delivery by a restricted flow of oxygen to the brain. Cerebral palsy is the most common of all childhood disabilities and there is no cure. In the United States, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 babies born each year will develop Cerebral Palsy. Importantly, a mother may not know their child has suffered CP until months or years after birth. If you suspect that your child may have suffered cerebral palsy during birth, it is crucial that you quickly contact the cerebral palsy lawyers at TopDog Law.

Erbs Palsy is another severe birth injury caused by nerve damage around the shoulder or brachial plexus. It is often caused by the forceful removal of a baby during a difficult childbirth. Erbs palsy can result in complete paralysis to the arm and often requires surgery to correct.

Other common types of injuries include:

Paralysis
Meconium aspiration
Excessive bleeding
Infections
Bleeding beneath the scalp or inside the skull
Skull fractures
Clavicle fractures
Hypoxia
Spinal cord damage
Facial paralysis
Soft tissue injuries
Stillbirth

What are the Signs of a Birth Injury

Sometimes the signs of a birth injury are evident immediately after birth. If you notice any of the below signs, it is best to be precautionary and reach out to an attorney as soon as possible.

After delivery, the hospital admits the baby to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
A newborn baby is blue
A newborn baby suffers from cardiac arrest or a heart attack
A baby has a broken arm or leg
A baby appears unusually swollen

Could this be Birth Injury Malpractice?

After a devastating birth injury, the parents are left with one question. How could something like this have happened? Too often the problems during labor and delivery were completely preventable.

Some of the more common causes of malpractice:

Abnormal presentation during delivery
Delay or failure to perform a C-section
Delay or failure to give the baby oxygen
Error in calculating the size of the fetus
Failure to respond to signals of distress in the fetus
Infections in the fetus or mother
Improper use or dose of medication
Misuse of delivery instruments

How long do I have to file a Birth Injury Lawsuit?

Under Pennsylvania law, birth injury claims must be filed within two years from the time of the injury. Importantly, that time does not begin until the discovery of the injury.

Therefore, you may still have time to file a lawsuit, but time may be running out. CALL (800) 215-7211 or fill out the information below to tell us how we can help.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire the Birth Injury Attorneys at TopDog Law?

The short answer is nothing. Our birth injury & cerebral palsy lawyers work on a contingency basis meaning they do not get paid unless you get paid. We also cover all the up-front costs for expenses like experts who we will use to testify on your behalf. Therefore, we have every incentive to ensure that we win and get you the most compensation possible for your injury. CALL (800) 215-7211 and tell us your story today.