A birth injury lawyer may be helpful when a newborn is harmed due to a doctor's negligence during the birth. The injury may be temporary, but most cases involve serious injuries that last a lifetime, or even death. When a birth injury lawyer is obtained, a medical malpractice suit is often filed in order to acquire monetary compensation for the family.
This kind of lawyer usually sets out to prove that the doctor in charge of the birth either failed to notice the signs of infant distress, or did not act fast enough to stop the damage from occurring. As long as there is evidence that the doctor ignored symptoms, did not pay attention to the birth for even a minute, or failed to properly diagnose and treat a condition, the family usually has a case. This is because it usually costs thousands or even millions of dollars over a lifetime to care for someone with a birth injury. Many conditions require therapy, daily medications, special equipment, and even private schools equipped to handle children with such medical conditions. In the case of the death of a baby, funeral costs need to be covered, as well as any emotional or physical injuries to the family.
There are various injuries and medical conditions that may occur at the time of birth, causing a healthy baby to become injured for life or even killed at birth. Brain damage is one condition that may occur when a doctor does not extract the baby fast enough, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain. Hydrocephalus can result from either a bacterial infection or trauma to the brain at the time of birth, and usually causes a large head and developmental delays due to excess cerebral spinal fluid around the brain. Cerebral palsy is another condition that a birth injury lawyer may observe in this field, which causes poor balance and motor skills, seizures, and a delay in learning various physical movements.
One of the main problems that a birth injury lawyer can often discover and sue a doctor for is the use of excess Pitocin to induce labor, which can cause fetal distress. If a mother is discovered to have a blood type that is incompatible with her fetus, or Group B Strep, and is not treated for either issue at the time of delivery, a birth injury lawyer can likely build a case for medical malpractice. In fact, any time when a condition could have been prevented by a doctor paying more attention is grounds for a birth injury lawyer to assess the facts and create a legal case in order to get compensation for a client.