Medical professionals who assist with childbirth typically perform their jobs with the diligence and care that their patients’ lives deserve. Unfortunately, even one mistake or reckless act by an involved doctor, nurse, or specialist can have devastating repercussions for the mother and her child.
If you or your newborn suffered an avoidable injury during childbirth because of a medical professional’s misconduct, you might have grounds for civil litigation that a Connecticut birth injury lawyer will help you utilize. With an experienced and compassionate medical negligence attorney’s assistance, you can more effectively demand the compensation you deserve for your losses and minimize the impact on your family’s future.
Potential Impacts of Negligence During Childbirth
Newborns are especially susceptible to long-term harm caused by physical trauma during delivery, which means the impact of a single mistake by a medical provider can be magnified immensely if it happens during childbirth. Experienced attorneys commonly help families in Connecticut seek recovery for birth injuries, including:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Anoxia or hypoxia
- Asphyxia
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Injuries caused by improper forceps or vacuum use
- Spinal cord or nerve damage
- Infections from unsanitary hospital conditions
- Injuries to the mother, including internal bleeding and anesthesia-related injuries
Any of these conditions can have substantial long-term implications, potentially limiting a newborn’s future educational and occupational capacity and permanently decreasing their quality of life. Fortunately, all damages stemming from medical negligence during childbirth, including non-economic forms of harm that will not manifest for years after birth, can be factored into a comprehensive birth injury claim.
Taking Legal Action Against Irresponsible Doctors in Connecticut
The process of establishing fault for a birth injury and recovering for short-term and long-term losses begins with determining what went wrong during childbirth and who failed to meet their standard of care. Depending on the circumstances, a birth injury might stem from a doctor failing to diagnose a maternal condition or not identifying fetal distress, misusing medical equipment like forceps, ordering a cesarean section at an inappropriate time, and much more.
There are also several procedural requirements for cases of this nature that do not apply to other forms of personal injury litigation. Connecticut General Statutes §§52-184c and 52-190a require prospective plaintiffs to seek written affirmation from at least one qualified medical expert that their case has merit and submit that affirmation along with their initial complaint.
Further, Connecticut does not have a statute of limitations specifically for claims involving injuries to minors, so the two-year filing deadline established under C.G.S. §52-584 still applies to most birth injury claims. A capable lawyer in Connecticut can assist an individual in overcoming these possible obstacles to recovery in a birth injury claim.
Call to Talk to a Connecticut Birth Injury Attorney Today
Unfortunately, negligence by medical professionals during childbirth can turn an exciting family experience into a nightmare that may have resounding repercussions for the rest of a newborn child’s life.
If you or your child were hurt because a doctor, nurse, or technician acted irresponsibly, you should strongly consider contacting a Connecticut birth injury lawyer to discuss your legal options. Call today for a consultation with a compassionate and hardworking legal advocate.
