Many of Oregon’s expecting mothers enjoy planning for the arrival of their little one. However, when it comes time to give birth, anxiety may rise. Expecting mothers may worry about the birthing procedure and whether or not it will be carried out safely. Though in most instances the birth occurs without harm to the child or the mother, in some cases negligence causes irreparable harm to the baby, the mother or both.
One mother has recently filed a lawsuit against doctors for allegedly forcing her to have a C-section, resulting in her bladder being inadvertently cut. The 35-year-old victim had had two children via C-section, but wished to have her third child via vaginal birth. However, once she arrived at the hospital, the victim claims her doctor refused to examine her until she consented to have the operation. The claim states that although the mother refused the surgery, after consulting with the hospital’s attorney, doctors overruled her and conducted the operation anyway, resulting in her injuries. In addition to her actual damages, the woman seeks punitive damages to punish the hospital and its doctors for refusing to abide by her wishes.
A pregnancy-related injury can have long-term consequences. In addition to leaving a mother with a deformation, such mishaps may leave her with lingering pain, incontinence, or the inability to reproduce. In some instances, an injury can result in death. Since a doctor error can cause so much harm, it is imperative that those injured by medical malpractice seek to hold accountable those responsible for the incident.
In Oregon, a medical malpractice attorney can fight on a victim’s behalf to recover the compensation she needs to reach as full a recovery as possible while also leaving her with a sense that errant parties have been punished. These claims also help raise awareness of the dangers of pregnancy-related injuries, and how an injury to a mother can drastically affect her life as well as the life of her child.
Source: RH Reality Check, “Lawsuit: Staten Island Hospital Forced Patient Into C-Section Against Her Will,” Jessica Mason Pieklo, May 13, 2014