Welcoming a new life into the world is a momentous occasion, but it can turn into a heart-wrenching ordeal if your child suffers a birth injury. But sometimes, when a medical mistake is made, a joyful experience can turn tragic. Birth injuries can be complicated and traumatic and leave your child suffering numerous medical complications for the rest of their life. Instantly, it can feel like all your hopes and dreams for your child shatter. Where do you go from here? A compassionate Chicago birth injury lawyer can help. Seeking the expertise of dedicated medical malpractice lawyers in Chicago is crucial in these challenging times. At JJ Legal, our legal team is deeply familiar with the nuances of birth injury cases, stands ready to support and guide you through this complex journey.
Understanding Birth Injuries in Illinois
Birth injuries, often a subset of medical malpractice, occur during the labor and delivery process and can have lasting effects on your child’s health. In Illinois, these injuries might include cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, among others. Each case requires a thorough understanding of the legal landscape, including Illinois’s statute of limitations and medical malpractice laws. A typical case might involve a comprehensive investigation, insurance claims, negotiations, and possibly a trial. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys are well-versed in these procedures, ensuring your case is handled with the utmost care and professionalism.
In Chicago, landmarks like the Willis Tower stand tall amidst the city’s bustling life, symbolizing strength and resilience—qualities our legal team embodies as we advocate for your child’s rights.
The Trauma of a Birth Injury: What You Need to Know
What is a birth injury? It is vital to understand that although babies are born every day, the process is complicated and not without risk to mother and child. Typically, birth injuries are injuries or harm inflicted on a baby during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, or post-delivery infant care. Most birth injuries are minor and can be resolved with time and minimal treatment from medical staff. However, some birth injuries caused by careless practitioners can result in traumatic injuries and life-long medical complications. Managing the trauma associated with a birth injury can be challenging for all family members, especially the mother, who is particularly vulnerable as she recovers from childbirth and prenatal care.
The first thing you need to know about most birth injuries is that a birth injury claim is not your fault. Most birth injuries are the result of the careless actions or neglect of medical staff and physicians. However, the second thing you need to know about birth injury claims is that they can be challenging. Birth injuries fall under the umbrella of medical malpractice claims. Proving medical malpractice takes significant evidence and can be difficult, especially without the assistance of an experienced Chicago birth injury lawyer.
In addition to the valuable legal advice a Chicago birth injury lawyer can provide, they can also help find resources for birth injury victims and their families. You get assistance fighting for the compensation your family deserves proper medical care, and a support system designed to help you navigate the challenges of coping with the trauma of a birth injury.
The Long-Term Impact of Birth Injuries
Birth injuries can cause life-long impairments and disabilities. Your child may struggle to reach specific mental and developmental milestones and may need extensive medical intervention, rehabilitation, or round-the-clock care. Some of the long-term consequences of birth injuries can include:
- Intellectual disabilities
- Learning problems
- Paralysis
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Visual impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Developmental delays
- Physical disabilities
Types and Causes of Birth Injuries
Common birth injuries can vary widely, each with its causes and implications. For instance, cerebral palsy might arise from medical negligence during birth, affecting a child’s motor skills and cognitive functions. Understanding these types and their causes is crucial for a birth injury lawsuit. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers have extensive experience in handling diverse birth injury cases, offering tailored legal strategies to address the specific needs of each family.
Causes of Birth Injuries:
- Prolonged Labor: Lengthy labor can increase the risk factors of birth injuries, as it puts additional stress on both the baby and the mother.
- Medical Errors: Mistakes made by healthcare providers during prenatal care, labor, or delivery can lead to devastating birth injuries, including spinal cord injuries, which are often the result of medical malpractice. These injuries can have severe long-term effects on the newborn’s health and development.
- Fetal Distress: Complications such as umbilical cord entanglement or placental abruption can result in oxygen deprivation to the baby, leading to birth injuries, including brain injuries that may cause permanent damage to the newborn’s brain.
- Inadequate Monitoring: Failure to properly monitor the baby’s heart rate and vital signs during labor can result in undetected problems that lead to birth injuries.
- Use of Assisted Delivery Tools: Instruments such as forceps or vacuum extractors, when used improperly, can cause birth injuries.
Understanding Common Birth Injuries and Their Causes
Numerous other birth defects and injuries can lead to long-lasting medical complications and physical and mental disabilities. Some of the most common birth injuries include:
- Erb’s Palsy – Erb’s palsy is a medical condition that impacts the nerves in the shoulder and arm. The brachial plexus nerves are a group of nerves that connect the arm and hand to the spine. When these nerves get damaged, it can lead to muscle weakness and the loss of muscle function. Passing the shoulders can be one of the most challenging aspects of childbirth. Sometimes, medical providers must shift a baby’s head to help ease the shoulders through the birth canal. When done improperly, the brachial plexus nerves can stretch or tear, leading to Erb’s palsy.
- Cerebral Palsy – Cerebral palsy isn’t one condition but a group of medical conditions that can impact muscle movement and posture. The conditions typically result from brain damage before birth or the abnormal development of the brain in the womb. Cerebral palsy conditions affect a child’s ability to move their muscles, leading to spasticity, uncontrollable muscle movements, and poor balance or coordination.
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy – HIE is a condition caused by brain damage resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain before or shortly after birth. Babies with HIE typically sustain damage to their central nervous system and may suffer learning problems, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disorders.
- Cephalohematoma – This disorder occurs when blood starts to pool under a baby’s scalp after a challenging vaginal delivery. The pressure and trauma of a difficult vaginal birth or the use of vacuum extraction or forceps during birth can cause blood vessels in the baby’s head to rupture. While cephalohematomas are generally minor, they can lead to jaundice, infections, anemia, and calcifications.
Numerous other types of birth injuries can also occur due to the careless actions of a medical professional, such as broken bones, contusions, nerve damage, and excessive bleeding.
Other causes of birth injuries are:
- Improper handling of an infant during or after birth
- Administering the wrong dose or type of medication
- Improperly pulling or twisting an infant during delivery
- Improperly using birthing tools such as vacuum extraction or forceps
- Failure to properly monitor the mother during labor
- Failure to take emergency measures (performing a cesarian section) when necessary
- Failure to identify potential problems before birth
If you suspect your child may have been injured during birth, discuss your situation with medical professionals or an experienced Chicago birth injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Identifying Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of a Birth Injury in Your Child
Erb’s Palsy
Erb’s palsy is a medical condition that impacts the nerves in the shoulder and arm. The brachial plexus nerves are a group of nerves that connect the arm and hand to the spine. When these nerves get damaged, it can lead to muscle weakness and the loss of muscle function. Passing the shoulders can be one of the most challenging aspects of childbirth. Sometimes, medical providers must shift a baby’s head to help ease the shoulders through the birth canal. When done improperly, the brachial plexus nerves can stretch or tear, leading to Erb’s palsy.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy isn’t one condition but a group of medical conditions that can impact muscle movement and posture. The conditions typically result from brain damage before birth or the abnormal development of the brain in the womb. Cerebral palsy conditions affect a child’s ability to move their muscles, leading to spasticity, uncontrollable muscle movements, and poor balance or coordination.
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
HIE is a condition caused by brain damage resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain before or shortly after birth. Babies with HIE typically sustain damage to their central nervous system and may suffer learning problems, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disorders.
Cephalohematoma
This disorder occurs when blood starts to pool under a baby’s scalp after a challenging vaginal delivery. The pressure and trauma of a difficult vaginal birth or the use of vacuum extraction or forceps during birth can cause blood vessels in the baby’s head to rupture. While cephalohematomas are generally minor, they can lead to jaundice, infections, anemia, and calcifications.
Unfortunately, identifying the symptoms of a birth injury can be challenging. While some injuries are apparent from the start, others don’t manifest significant symptoms right away. It can take months or years of your child missing physical or mental milestones before they are diagnosed with a medical condition caused by a birth injury. As a parent, you are your child’s advocate. If you are concerned about their development or fear they may have suffered an injury at birth, talk to your pediatrician and look for some of these common birth or brain injury signs. Some of these are: seizures, muscle weakness, muscle stiffness, excessive drooling, difficulty eating, breathing, or swallowing, excessive fussiness or crying, and missing developmental milestones.If you believe the careless actions of medical staff hurt your child, consult a knowledgeable Chicago birth injury lawyer who can help you recover the compensation your family needs and point you in the right direction for more resources for birth injury victims.
Why Hire JJ Legal?
If your child has suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence, you have the right to seek justice and compensation. In Chicago, our birth injury attorneys at JJ Legal can help you navigate the complexities of medical malpractice law, ensuring your case is presented effectively and your rights are fully protected.
If you’re facing the challenges of a birth injury, remember, you’re not alone. Contact JJ Legal at 312-200-2000 for a free consultation with a compassionate and skilled birth injury lawyer in Chicago. We’re here to help you and your family find the justice and support you need during this difficult time.
Seeking Justice for Your Child: Your Legal Options After a Birth Injury
You may be mentally exhausted from the trauma of coping with your child’s birth injury. However, you can engage an experienced birth injury lawyer in Chicago who will fight to seek justice and fair compensation for you and your family during this challenging time. If the careless, reckless, or neglectful actions of a medical professional caused your child’s birth defect or injury, you can sue them. You may have several options for pursuing compensation for your child’s medical care and other financial losses.
Working with a skilled Chicago birth injury lawyer is the best way to learn more about your legal options after a birth injury. Filing an insurance claim or medical malpractice lawsuit may be options that are open to you, depending on the circumstances of your birth injury case and situation. An attorney can review the factors unique to your case and mount a compelling claim on your behalf for the money your family deserves.
Legal Recourse for Birth Injury Lawsuit:
- Medical Malpractice Claims: Families may pursue legal action against healthcare providers whose negligence resulted in a birth injury.
- Product Liability Claims: birth defects, medical devices, or drugs contributed to the birth injury. Families may seek compensation from the manufacturer.
- Birth Injury Lawsuits: Experienced birth injury attorneys can help families navigate the complexities of the legal system and fight for the compensation they deserve.
At JJ Legal, our experienced and sensitive legal team understands the devastating toll a birth injury can take on an entire family. Not only do new parents have to navigate the complexities of physical injuries and complications in birthing process, but they must also cope with the catastrophic emotional and financial consequences associated with birth injuries. We want you to know that our team is here to help. We offer more than effective legal advice. A Chicago birth injury lawyer can offer support and compassion.
Are you ready to seek justice for your child after birth trauma? Do you want more information about how a skilled Chicago birth injury lawyer can help your family recover the compensation they deserve? Contact JJ Legal today by calling 312-200-2000 and requesting a free and confidential legal consultation.
Maximizing Compensation for Your Child’s Birth Injury
Maximizing compensation for your child’s birth injury takes strong evidence and a tenacious Chicago birth injury lawyer. Insurers and medical providers typically want to settle your birth injury lawsuit claims quickly and cheaply. How can you be sure you are getting the money you need for your child’s current and future medical care? Before you accept any settlement offer from anyone, talk to a Chicago birth injury lawyer about how they can help you maximize your compensation and hold careless medical practitioners responsible for their actions. A Chicago birth injury lawyer can immediately investigate the cause of your child’s injury while gathering medical records and preserving evidence critical to building a strong claim. Your attorney can engage medical experts who can provide assessments of the future care your child will need so those expenses can be included in any settlement or award.
Medical providers have teams of Chicago birth injury lawyers and insurers on their side. You need a Chicago birth injury lawyer who can advocate for your family against medical bills and fight against the intimidating tactics of major medical facilities and insurance companies so you can recover the compensation your child will need.
The Types of Medical Malpractice Cases We Handle
Chicago Birth Injury FAQs
A Chicago birth injury refers to any harm that occurs to a baby during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or shortly after birth. This can include physical injuries like fractures or nerve damage, as well as conditions like cerebral palsy or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Suffered birth injuries can result from medical negligence or natural complications during childbirth. If you suspect a birth injury, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional and a specialized birth injury lawyer.
Serious injuries, while not exceedingly common, do occur and can vary in severity. Sometimes, they are minor and resolve independently, but others may have lasting effects and require proper medical care. However, not all birth injuries occur due to medical negligence. Some are the result of natural, unavoidable complications during childbirth. However, if negligence is suspected, consult with a Chicago birth injury attorney for proper legal guidance.
In Illinois, the statute of limitations for birth injury claims generally allows parents to file birth injury lawsuits within eight years of the child’s birth. However, it’s important to start the legal birthing process as soon as possible, as earlier intervention often leads to more effective evidence collection and case building. Consulting with a birth injury lawyer at JJ Legal can help you understand the specific timelines relevant to your birth injury case.
A birth injury lawyer can provide invaluable assistance in handling the complex legal landscape surrounding medical malpractice and birth injury cases. They can help gather evidence, consult medical experts about medical records, and build a strong case to prove negligence. Additionally, a lawyer will work to ensure that the compensation sought covers your child’s current and future medical needs, providing a more secure future for your family.
Compensation in birth injury cases varies based on the severity of the injury and its long-term effects. It can include medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, future care expenses, and compensation for pain and suffering. An experienced Chicago birth injury lawyer can help evaluate your case and estimate the appropriate compensation amount, ensuring your child’s future needs are considered.
Contact A Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Today
Why choose the experienced birth injury team at JJ Legal? Because our aggressive legal team has already recovered more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for birth injury cases our clients.
For more comprehensive information, call our office today at 312-200-2000 to request a free legal consultation with a Chicago birth injury attorney.
We know you and your family are going through a difficult time. We want to offer you the compassion and resources you need to move forward. Let us fight for you so you can focus on your family through our years of experience.