Higher Compensation Requires Higher Standards
If your child has suffered a birth injury in Drexel Hill, you may wonder if it resulted from medical malpractice. Our Drexel Hill birth injury attorneys understand that birth injuries can profoundly impact a child and their family.
Birth injuries can lead to physical, emotional, and financial hardship. When a birth injury is caused by the negligence of a doctor or another healthcare provider, the family may be able to recover compensation for these costs through a lawsuit.
Wapner Newman has represented many families in birth injury cases, and we are here to help. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case, and we will not charge any legal fees unless we are successful in recovering compensation for you. Contact us today to learn more about how a birth injury lawyer in Drexel Hill can help you.
If your child has been injured at birth, contact us for a free consultation. We’re here to help you every step of the way. Call our Drexel Hill birth injury attorney at (215) 569-0900 today.
Why Hire Wapner Newman Attorneys at Law?
Drexel Hill Birth Injury Attorneys Are Dedicated to Results
When an expectant mother goes into labor, she envisions a beautiful, healthy baby being placed in her arms after giving birth. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the reality. Sometimes, complications during childbirth can result in serious injuries to the baby.
If your child has been injured during childbirth, you may feel overwhelmed and uncertain what to do next. One of the best things you can do for your case is to hire the right attorney. We invite you to consult with the Wapner Newman birth injury lawyers in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Here are three reasons why:
1) We Get Results
At Wapner Newman, we are proud to have a long history of success in fighting for the rights of our clients. We have been representing concerned parents whose children have been injured due to the negligence of others since 1978. Our Drexel Hill birth injury lawyers have earned a reputation for excellence in the legal community and have received many distinguished awards.
We are committed to getting results for committed to getting results for our clients, and we have a proven track record of success in achieving fair and just compensation for our clients, including a $227 million personal injury settlement, a $45 million verdict for abuse, and over $60 million in combined birth injury settlements. We successfully take on the toughest cases and fight tirelessly to get the compensation and justice that you and your child deserve.
2) We Care About Our Clients
We understand that every legal case is unique, and we believe you deserve an individualized approach. We provide personalized attention to every one of our clients. When you retain Wapner Newman, we will assign your case to one of our experienced principal partners. This partner will then assemble a team of legal professionals who are dedicated to supporting your case.
We understand that a strong relationship is essential when parents are coping with the challenges of their child’s birth injury. We are committed to providing updates on your case, returning your calls, and answering your questions before, during, and after you hire us. We know that you need a firm you can rely on.
And, while we are proud of the successes of our Drexel Hill birth injury lawyers, we are even more proud of the relationships we’ve built with our clients and the difference we’ve been able to make in their lives.
3) Knowledge Matters
Traumatic birth injuries are extremely complex cases to litigate, and they require expert sophisticated knowledge to properly adjudicate and see the case properly through to the end. Since these types of cases are highly specialized, not every personal injury or medical malpractice attorney is qualified to successfully represent families who are going through the traumatic experience of a child with a birth injury.
The Drexel Hill birth injury attorneys at Wapner Newman are seasoned litigators with extensive experience in traumatic birth injury cases. We have won major victories for clients, including several of the largest settlements in Pennsylvania.
Our team of Drexel Hill birth injury lawyers has the resources and expertise to handle the most difficult child injury cases. We have a proven track record of success in these types of cases, and we will fight for the compensation you and your family need and deserve. When you choose Wapner Newman, you can be confident that you are receiving expert representation from attorneys who are dedicated to achieving aggressive for the best possible outcome in your case.
You and your child may have rights that you are not aware of. Sadly, insurance companies are incentivized to pay injured children less than they deserve. Children with birth injuries need the most monetary compensation available and, to obtain it, your lawyer will need to have the highest legal standards to aggressively pursue justice for your injured little one.
Contact a birth injury lawyer in Drexel Hill to get started on seeking justice for your family. Call (215) 569-0900 today.
What Are Some Signs of a Birth Injury?
Contact a Top Drexel Hill Birth Injury Lawyer Today for Help—(215) 569-0900
Several different signs can indicate a birth injury. For example, the baby may be born with a head or neck deformity, or there may be bruising or swelling around the head or face. In some cases, the baby may also have difficulty breathing and may need to be placed on a ventilator.
Additionally, the baby may exhibit neurological problems, such as seizures, paralysis, spasms, or sensitivity to light. Birth injuries can have a wide range of causes, including medical negligence and malpractice, so it is important to seek the counsel of an experienced birth injury lawyer in Drexel Hill to develop a legal plan to help get treatment and compensation for your child’s birth injuries.
The following are some of the injuries a child might have at birth: associated with birth injuries:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Spina Bifida
- Hypoxia (oxygen deprivation)
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- Umbilical cord injuries
- Spastic quadriplegia
- Brachial plexus injury
- Cephalohematoma (bleeding in the skull)
- Laryngeal nerve palsy
- Brain damage
- Skull fracture
- Klumpke’s palsy
- Nerve damage
- Collarbone fracture
- Shoulder dystocia
- Infections
- Facial nerve palsy
- Preeclampsia
- Vacuum extraction injuries
- Horner Syndrome
- Genetic abnormalities misdiagnosed in utero
- Spinal cord injuries
- Long-term disabilities
- Chorioamnionitis
- Perinatal stroke
- Wrongful death
- Stillbirth
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Placental abruption.
Birth Injuries FAQs
Common Questions for Our Birth Injury Attorneys in Drexel Hill
Learning your child has a birth injury can be devastating and confusing. To help you make more sense of your situation, here is a look at some common questions that may be going through your head.
What are some symptoms of a birth injury?
Within hours or a few days after childbirth, babies with traumatic birth injuries may show the following symptoms:
- Low Apgar scores (skin color, pulse rate, reflexes, muscle tone, respiratory effort)
- Inability to nurse or take a bottle (latch reflex)
- Labored breathing
- Inability to move arms or legs
- Seizures
- Inability to swallow
- Vomiting
- Light sensitivity
- Spasms.
What are some birth injury symptoms for toddlers?
Between the ages of two weeks and two years, babies and young toddlers with birth injuries may show the following symptoms:
- Speech difficulties
- Sleep problems
- Inability to gain weight
- Feeding problems
- Cognitive delays
- Lack of coordination.
Trauma from a birth injury can have a significant impact on a child’s development and well-being. If your child is displaying any of these symptoms, it is important to seek the guidance of a birth injury attorney in Harrisburg right away.
What are the types of recovery for birth injury claims?
People seeking compensation for birth injuries can typically receive two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages (or special damages) are intended to reimburse for quantifiable financial losses related to the birth injury. These can include medical bills, diagnostic testing, surgery, and therapy. Moreover, some children may need rehabilitative therapy that lasts for many years and requires compensation for the cost of future care.
Non-economic damages (or general damages) are meant to compensate the baby and their families for intangible losses, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. After giving birth to a child who has suffered birth injuries, some mothers suffer psychological birth trauma (PBT) due to the extreme emotional distress of having a baby with a birth injury. PBT can cause a mother to reject her baby, have a shorter lactation period, or develop a fear of future childbirth.
In some cases, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish the doctor or hospital for their negligence. Birth injury claims are very involved, so it’s important to work with an experienced birth injury attorney in Drexel Hill, PA, who can help you recover the full compensation you and your child deserve.
Are my child’s injuries the result of negligence?
Negligence occurs when a doctor’s conduct falls below the standard of care to avoid an injury. The test is: How would a doctor have acted and what precautions would a doctor have taken when faced with the same or similar situation? Doctors have a duty to exercise great care when delivering babies. If a doctor, nurse, or a hospital medical staff member fails to uphold their duty of care and causes a birth injury, then the injury is due to their negligence.
The following are some examples of negligence related to birth injuries:
- Improper training
- Inexperience
- Poor communication
- Failure to perform prepartum tests
- Failure to properly interpret the heart monitor.
When these types of traumatic birth injuries are caused by the negligence of a doctor or another healthcare provider, the family may be able to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for the resulting damages.
How is a birth defect different from a birth injury?
Most often, a birth defect is something that results from a genetic issue. It is present prior to birth and usually is immediately recognizable. However, a small number of defects are actually birth injuries caused by exposure to certain medications during pregnancy. These cases did not result from something in nature and may be a result of negligence if your doctor didn’t properly prescribe the medication.
What increases my risks of a delivery involving birth trauma?
Factors that may increase the chances that you or your child will suffer from birth trauma and a possible injury include:
- Emergency C-sections
- Use of forceps or vacuum extractor pumps
- Large-sized baby
- Preeclampsia
- Use of Pitocin
- Gestational diabetes
Your doctor should be aware of the increased risk and take steps to reduce the potential for injuries.
How might a birth injury impact your life?
Not only could a birth injury cause life-long medical complications and expenses but also it will impact your mental well-being. The trauma of an injury could lead to anxiety and depression. You may have many mental struggles due to the negligence that occurred during your delivery because the issue is something that may be present for the rest of your life. You can make legal claims for the mental suffering you incur.
What birth injuries may a mother experience?
Birth injuries are not limited to just babies. Mothers may also suffer from preventable injuries including:
- Ruptured uterus
- Prolapsed uterus
- Vaginal tears
- Hemorrhaging
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Pelvic floor damage
- Nerve injuries.
Is your birth injury a basis for a legal claim?
You have the right to hold the responsible party accountable when you and your child suffer from mental anguish or physical injuries during birth. Birth injuries are typically preventable with proper prenatal care and attention during the labor process. Because of this, you could hold your doctor or other medical professionals responsible for the harm you and your child suffer.
How long do I have to file my case?
Pennsylvania law allows for two years to file a personal injury claim with the court. The clock begins when you discover the injury. If you fail to file your legal case with the court before the statute of limitations expires, you will no longer be able to make a claim. If you try to go to court, any judge will throw out your case for going over the time limit for filing.
What evidence will I need to prove negligence?
Proving a birth injury requires showing the healthcare professional was negligent in some way and that led to the harm. Typical evidence in such a legal case includes:
- Medical records
- Photographs
- Witness statements
- Professional employment records
- Expert testimony.
Having answers to common questions about birth injuries can help you to understand your situation better. You may realize that what you went through is not acceptable. Now you can move forward seeking the compensation you deserve.
Get Help from Our Birth Injury Attorneys in Drexel Hill
If your child has suffered a birth injury, you may have many questions and concerns about your legal rights and options. The experienced attorneys at Wapner Newman can help answer your questions, provide you with guidance, and advise you of your rights.
Birth injury cases can be very involved, and it is important to have knowledgeable legal counsel on your side. Our Harrisburg birth injury lawyers have successfully represented many clients in birth injury cases, and we can help you understand the potential for a positive outcome in your case.
Contact us today by calling (215) 569-0900 or using our contact form to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced birth injury lawyers in Drexel Hill.