Birth injuries lead to many medical malpractice claims

On behalf of Ortega Law Firm posted in medical malpractice on Friday, February 8, 2019.

Due to the narrowness of a baby's passage into the world, injuries during the birth process are not uncommon, especially for those who are born at an advanced gestational age and a substantial weight. However, most injuries to newborns are preventable. It is, therefore, not surprising that a significant number of medical malpractice lawsuits that go through civil courts in Arizona and other states involve birth injuries.

Birth injuries do not include congenital conditions, but only those that occur during childbirth. Some of the most common injuries involve damage done to nerves, bones and joints of awkwardly positioned babies. Identifying such potential problems timely and then doing a Caesarean delivery instead can, in many cases, prevent injuries. However, a host of birth injuries can occur during such surgical proceedings.

Collarbone or clavicle fractures are some of the more common birth injuries, and although many thighbones or femur fractures occur when the legs of babies are awkwardly twisted during childbirth, they are less common than clavicle fractures. The third type of fracture suffered by many babies involve the growth areas on the end of long bones in the arms or legs, referred to as growth plate fractures. The most common nerve injury caused during delivery is Erb's Palsy or Brachial Plexus injuries, which involve damage done by pulling a baby's head and arm in opposite directions.

Parents in Arizona who have to cope with a newborn child's birth injuries might be unsure about their legal rights. They might find a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney to be informative. A lawyer can determine the viability of a medical malpractice lawsuit, and then provide the necessary support and guidance in pursuit of a monetary judgment to cover financial and emotional damages.