Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Coping with Birth Trauma (Part A)
Our dream from the moment we find out that we are to be parents, is that we will have a happy, healthy child. Late at night we may nurse far-fetched nightmares about our child’s birth, but we truly hope and believe that the birth will go, if not smoothly, at least normally. While odds are in our favor, things sometimes do go wrong.
Twenty-seven out of every 100 children will suffer a birth injury this year.
Each year, 10,000 babies are born with trauma-related Cerebral Palsy. While I sincerely hope you never need the information in this chapter – or in any of this book – I would be remiss if I did not share with you the possibilities and your options.
Birth trauma is an injury that occurs during the birth process and results from mechanical forces. These birth injuries have many causes:
- the doctor may wait too long to perform a cesarean section;
- a nurse may administer a dangerous dose of Picotin to the birth mother;
- the doctor may misread or misinterpret the fetal heart rate monitoring strips;
- the medical team may fail to act in a timely manner; or
- the medical team may fail to act in a necessary or appropriate manner.
True accidents do happen during the birthing process. Though we have advanced medically beyond the imagination of even our own parents, childbirth can still be unpredictable.If, however, the action causing your child’s birth trauma is negligent, you do have grounds for compensation.
Birth Injuries
Birth trauma can lead to two major categories of injury. The first is injury resulting from oxygen deprivation. Hypoxia and asphyxia can lead to permanent brain damage and Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is actually a group of problems that affects body movement and posture and can lead to mental retardation, seizures, and vision and hearing problems. Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common causes of lasting disability in children.
When selecting a child injury attorney you’ll want to ask critical questions such as; how long have you been practicing law; do you have experience with child accident cases in Boston, Massachusetts; what is the biggest settlement or verdict you have won? For over 30 years Kiley Law Group, located in Boston and Andover, Massachusetts, has fought on behalf of children. Our child injury lawyers take time when speaking with you about your child’s injuries. Mr. Kiley’s firm works with you on a contingency fee basis, which means there are NO FEES unless our trained Boston birth injury attorneys win your case. Call now for a FREE legal consultation.
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