Expectant mothers, fathers, and families often anticipate the arrival of a new baby with intense emotions. There is joy and excitement, but there may also be some underlying anxiety. Giving birth carries serious risks.
If something goes wrong during delivery, both mother and infant can experience life-changing or life-threatening injuries, and a Coventry personal injury lawyer from Gemma Law can help. Connect with a Coventry birth injury lawyer to find out how you can pursue justice by securing compensation to support your baby and family’s needs.
Our highly-regarded, family-run practice has been serving Rhode Islanders for 50 years, and we are ready to put that experience to work for you.
Birth Injuries Explained
An injury that occurs during pregnancy, the labor and delivery process, or at a time shortly after birth is a birth injury.
The injuries range in severity from minor injuries, such as slight bruising that heals with minimal care rather quickly, to more serious injuries that leave the baby with serious impairments, perhaps lasting a lifetime. A Coventry birth injury attorney can help fight for your baby no matter what kind of injury they have sustained.
“Birth Trauma,” an article from the National Library of Medicine, identifies types of birth injuries, including:
- Head trauma, including fractures of bones in the skull and intracranial or extracranial bleeding
- Facial nerve damage which can diminish sensation and the ability to move facial muscles
- Fractures of bones in the face. Occipital bone fractures can impair eye development and vision.
- Brachial plexus damage, which can affect nerves in the shoulders, arms, and hands and cause lasting weakness on the side of the body affected
- Spinal cord injuries
- Bone breaks
- Lack of oxygen, which can impair brain function and development
- Birth defects affecting internal organs, body systems, and limb development. Defects can also cause disfigurement of the face and limbs
Birth injuries cause babies pain in the moment and throughout recovery. Sometimes, they cause permanent damage affecting the baby’s quality of life and sending families into upheaval as they seek care options and face massive and unexpected financial and care responsibilities.
If your family is experiencing the panic and confusion caused by a birth injury, the team at Gemma Law understands and will work diligently to secure justice and compensation to help you move toward a more hope-filled future.
For a free legal consultation with a birth injury lawyer serving CoventryCall 401.467.2300
How Birth Injuries Happen
Birth injuries can happen when those providing medical care for an expectant mother and taking her through the birth process make errors, fail to monitor the mother and baby properly during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, or fail to notice and treat possible complications.
Medical professionals owe their patients a high duty of care–a legal obligation–to keep them safe. Any breaches in this duty can cause serious injury and leave those practitioners liable for the resulting damages.
Examples of errors or negligence include:
- Giving wrong or improperly dosed medications. Some babies experience birth defects caused by antidepressants
- Misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose conditions appearing during pregnancy or childbirth
- Failing to notice fetal distress, such as lack of oxygen and dangerous changes in heart rate that could indicate the need for a Cesarean delivery
- Delaying delivery and failing to use medications to induce or expedite contractions when the mother and baby are in distress from prolonged labor
- Using excessive force during delivery, including improper use of delivery apparatus
- Failing to recognize a baby’s position as breech
- Failing to monitor a baby’s vital signs or recognize other conditions that appear in the hours and days after birth
Do not wait to get help from a birth injury lawyer in Coventry. Medical institutions often have powerful insurance companies and legal representatives protecting them. When you connect with us quickly, we will get right to work protecting you and your baby.
Coventry Birth Injury Lawyer Near Me 401.467.2300
How a Coventry Birth Injury Lawyer Can Fight for Damages
You not only deserve but need to collect damages for a birth injury. The long-term effects of these injuries can include physical disabilities affecting mobility and strength, seizures, cognitive impairment, speech and language problems, loss of vision or hearing, and paralysis, among others. These kinds of effects demand expensive care, perhaps even requiring a parent to stop working and take on a more full-time caregiving role.
Our team knows how to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Rhode Island and will fight for damages to cover your child’s care needs and other expenses incurred by the birth injury. You may need to make structural accommodations to your home or acquire medical apparatus to support your child’s well-being. We will also account for your child’s pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life in the settlement demand.
Your birth injury attorney in Coventry will examine every detail of your child’s injury and the circumstances around it. Through this careful investigation, our team will work to compile evidence to prove the negligent party’s breach of duty of care caused your baby’s birth injury and the ensuing consequences. We have the knowledge, resources, connections, and experience needed to gather and present convincing proof in support of your claim.
When to Secure Representation
As per Rhode Island General Law Section 9-1-14.1, you must file a medical malpractice claim with the court within three years of the incident causing the injury, with some exceptions.
To protect your child’s right to compensation, secure legal representation from a skilled attorney as soon as possible. Our goal is to get maximum compensation as efficiently as possible.
Let Us Lead Your Fight
The most important thing you can do right now is take care of your baby’s needs. By trusting your case to Gemma Law, you do just that. As you keep your focus on your child, we will manage all the details and legalities of your case.
A review of our results reveals our commitment to injured victims and our ability to secure justice. Connect with us today for a free consultation. Once we take your case, we will immediately start fighting to get the case results your child deserves.
Call or text 401.467.2300 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form