When a mother awaits the birth of her child, she may be overcome with joy. Yet, the birthing process is a fragile one, and one which medical professionals should approach carefully. A failure to do so may result in a serious birth injury, leaving a newborn child severely debilitated for the rest of his or her life. A lawsuit surrounding one of these mishaps was recently adjudged, with the injured child’s family recovering millions.
The lawsuit arose out of a child’s brain injury suffered after doctors failed to timely perform a C-section. In reaching its decision, the court looked to medical records, which showed the child suffered his brain injury 40 minutes before the C-section and 10 minutes afterwards. The $28 million award will help cover medical expenses, long-term care, lost earnings, and pain and suffering, amongst other harms.
A failure to perform a cesarean section can oftentimes cause a permanent disability. If this happens, the child’s family should consider taking legal action. An Oregon birth injury attorney may be able to assist in the process by gathering evidence, analyzing medical reports and witness accounts, and developing strong, persuasive legal arguments. If negligence can be proven to have caused the child’s injuries, then awards may be recovered to help cover incurred damages.
The birth of a child is supposed to be family’s exciting start to a new life together. But when a doctor’s error turns this occasion into a living nightmare, he or she should be held responsible for the damage that is caused. These negligent professionals should not only pay for the injuries suffered by a medical malpractice victim, but they should be deterred from making similar mistakes in the future. An attorney will work vigorously to help try to ensure these goals are attained.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “$28 Million Medical Judgment Against USA,” Joe Harris, Dec. 23, 2013