Delivering a baby safely requires a lot of skill, quick decision making, and extreme care. Newborns are so fragile that a single slip or pull in the wrong direction can be tragic, leaving the baby with a serious birth injury. When this happens, the child may be left with life-long pain and suffering and may be unable to live a normal life. Parents, too, suffer harm, as caring for conditions such as a brain injury, including cerebral palsy, can be costly. Therefore, parents whose child suffers a birth injury due to a doctor error should consider acting on their legal rights.
One couple is doing this after their newborn child died after suffering a serious birth injury. There, the petite mother asked her doctor for a C-section, but the doctor advised against it. When the baby started to progress through the birth canal, it became turned. The doctor tried to right the baby with his hand, but, after failing, he proceeded to use forceps. The doctor appears to have used too much force, causing severe skull and spinal injuries. The child was put on life support, but later died.
Taking legal action against a negligent doctor can be emotionally trying and legally complex. By seeking an Oregon attorney experienced in such cases, a couple can become knowledgeable about the process so they can make fully informed decisions regarding their case. If the decision is made to move forward on a claim, then the attorney will do everything in his or her power to prove a doctor’s negligence caused the child’s death or injury. He or she will also seek to show the extent of harm imposed, thereby maximizing potential compensation.
Whether a couple’s child suffers a broken bone or a permanent disability, a birth injury can take quite a toll. When this happens, parents should not hesitate to act on their legal rights. Not only may they be able to recover medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, but they send the message that delivery room errors are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Source: The New York Daily News, “Funeral held for baby who allegedly died because of forceps delivery,” David Harding, Jan. 6, 2013