Birth-Related Injury: It Could Happen to You

All physicians are required to carry medical malpractice insurance, but one of the highest rates of this type of coverage is seen in doctors practicing obstetrics (OB). This is because of two things: the risk of injury during pregnancy and/or childbirth is higher than most other specialties, and because of the emotional charge surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. When injury happens, parents are more likely to seek damages, especially since many childbirth injuries are serious or even permanent.

There is a wide range of birth-related injuries, ranging from the mild and temporary, to the devastating and deadly. Some children are born into dangerous environments, where their medical needs are not attended to, and some children are born with defects from untreated illnesses in the mother. During the birth itself, there are many things that can go wrong, compromising the safety of the child and the mother. Both children and parents can seek justice for birth-related injuries, as often they affect everyone in the family, either physically, or mentally, emotionally, and financially. Most cases involve a combination of all of these.

From the moment a person becomes aware of their pregnancy, until the moment they leave the hospital with their newborn baby, there are multiple people involved in the health of the child. Parents, doctors, nurses, surgeons, midwives, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers are charged with protecting pregnant women from things that may put them at risk (like radiation and certain foods and medications), as well as monitoring the fetal development to assess signs of disease or disability. However, even if the pregnancy goes wonderfully, and the fetus is deemed healthy, during the birth process, things can go wrong.

Delivery errors, like using the wrong type of forceps or other tools, administering the wrong medications, or mishandling of the infant, can result in injury to the child. Birthing errors like failing to diagnose or treat conditions like hypertension or arrhythmia, faulty epidural placement, and failing to enact a C-section birth plan, can lead to traumatic injury to both mother and child.

Because there are so many things that can go wrong during pregnancy and childbirth, it’s important to find an OB/GYN you trust, follow all medical advice, and know your rights and responsibilities in and out of the hospital. And when you need help after a birth-related injury, reach out to us at the law office of Jonathan R. Brockman for your free consultation. We’re proud to be one of the most experienced medical malpractice attorneys in Georgia, and we’re here to get you the compensation you deserve.