New Jersey Birth Injury Lawyers
Strong advocacy for parents and children with birth injuries
Parents have the right to expect that every measure will be taken to monitor the health and safety of the mother and baby during the labor and delivery process. Sometimes, that does not happen, and birth injuries or maternal injuries occur.
If you or your baby suffered serious injury because of complications during the labor or delivery process in a hospital in New Jersey, talk to a medical negligence lawyer on the medical malpractice litigation team at Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP. If you cannot come to one of our convenient offices in Edison, Red Bank, or Toms River, New Jersey, for a free initial consultation, we may be able to meet at a location and time convenient for your family.
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What is a birth injury?
A birth injury is damage that occurs as a result of physical pressure during the birthing process, usually during transit through the birth canal. (Merck Manuals)
Medical complications are not uncommon during labor or while delivering a baby. But modern equipment and training make the chance of a serious injury less likely, if the medical staff monitors, diagnoses, and resolves the complication efficiently and effectively. If a baby is born with a serious neurological or physical injury because of complications during delivery, there is the possibility of negligence or error on the part of a key medical professional attending the birth.
Our New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers have experience representing plaintiffs in birth injury cases such as:
What are the causes of birth injury?
Birth injuries can be caused by a wide range of negligent actions or failure to act by medical professionals including:
- Oxygen deprivation
- Failure to recognize fetal macrosomia (unusually large for gestational age or more than 8lbs 13 oz.)
- Use of excessive force during childbirth
- Failure to timely perform a C-section
- Improper use of forceps
- Failure to monitor
Birth injuries for mothers
Yes, mothers can suffer birth injuries, too. Often after giving birth, some women suffer in silence as they endure painful symptoms and do not seek treatment for them. The following are a few examples of how mothers can sustain birth injuries:
- Continued heavy bleeding and fecal incontinence
- Peritoneal tears
- Uterine rupture
- Pelvic fractures
- Pelvic floor muscle injury
- Pelvic organ prolapse
Who can be held responsible after a birth injury in New Jersey?
Childbirth in a hospital setting is a group effort with several medical professionals working together to keep mother and baby safe during labor and delivery. When any of them fails to adhere to the accepted standard of care for their specialty, they may be held liable in a medical negligence claim. The injured party (the plaintiff) must be able to prove that the defendant's (negligent medical professional or hospital) breach of the accepted standard of care was the direct cause of the injury. The following medical professionals and healthcare providers who may be at fault in a birth injury case might include:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
- Midwives
- Hospitals
- Paramedics/ EMTs
As birth injury attorneys, we understand that parents may be hesitant to sue their doctor, with whom they have a trusting relationship. Birth injuries – especially ones that affect mobility, motor skills, and cognitive development – can have long-lasting repercussions. Your child may never be able to play with other children. He or she may require an Individualized Education Program (IEP) because he or she cannot hold a pencil, or cannot take tests without additional accommodations. In some cases, the injury may be severe enough that public school is not an option. He or she may never hold a job or be able to live on his or her own.
When a medical professional’s negligent actions led to your child's birth injury, that is the only way to obtain justice and to make sure that no one else's child must suffer the same pain and suffering as you and your child have.
More on Birth Injuries:
We work with leading medical experts to uncover medical negligence
Birth injury cases involve complex evidence, including timelines for communications between the attending physician and the primary care doctor, monitoring vital signs, medications, and decisions regarding proactive measures. Our firm has earned a reputation for integrity and commitment to helping people recover the full and fair money damages they are entitled to for a lifetime of care for their injured babies. Leading independent medical specialists and life-care professionals work with us to help investigate and prepare the strongest case possible for full recovery of compensation.
Our NJ birth injury lawyers are recognized among the leading birth injury trial attorneys in the state, with a case record of successful birth injury settlements and verdicts on behalf of plaintiffs.
Fighting for your family after a birth injury changes your plans for the future
From offices in Edison, Red Bank and Toms River, New Jersey birth injury lawyers at Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP successfully represent victims in medical malpractice and personal injury claims throughout New Jersey. Call our office at 732-777-0100 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey birth injury lawyer at an office near you.
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