Call Now for a Free Case Evaluation - ( May 24, 2011)
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The growing numbers of birth injuries in California hospitals have led to studies conducted to find out what is causing the increase. An example of one such study was commissioned by the California Hospital Association to find out what the percentage of birth injury lawsuits
were being paid by medical malpractice insurances, however, even though the exact amount was unclear, what was discovered was that 1 out of 20 patients seeking medical attention from hospitals were injured due to medical negligence and 1 out of every 10 patients died as a direct result. With these astonishing results, it leaves little reassurance for expecting California mothers who have made arrangements to deliver in a California hospital.
There are many factors that can lead to a birth injury
, some of them due to natural causes beyond anyone’s control while others are due to negligence on the medical facility’s part. Medical malpractice in birth injuries can be attributed to medical procedures that were not adhered to or as a lack of direct contribution from the attending doctors or staff. For example: failure to administer tests to detect abnormalities, signs of fetal or respiratory distress and not performing a Cesarean section within the required time frame. Two of the common birth injuries that can result from medical negligence are:
• cerebral palsy
- This condition usually occurs by injuries or abnormalities of the brain that is caused either before or after birth which is characterized by motor dysfunction, e.g. spasms and lack of muscular coordination.
• erbs palsy
(or brachial palsy) – A paralysis or weakness of the arm caused by stretching of the nerves around the shoulder during birth. This damage can be caused by excessive pulling on the arm during birth or by pressure on raised shoulders during a breech delivery.
Even though careful monitoring throughout all stages of pregnancy is important, following set hospital procedures and guidelines by all medical staff helps to ensure a successful delivery process for both the mother and the infant. If in the unfortunate event that your child received a birth injury due to medical negligence, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to contact a reputable birth injury law firm
who has the experience and knowledge you need to need to determine if you have a case.
