Chicago Bone Fractures Attorney
Before or during labor and delivery, a newborn can suffer a bone fracture during a difficult delivery. There are multiple types of infant bone fractures that can occur, and these injuries can result in permanent harm. While some types of broken bones do heal and that child can live a normal life, other types of fractures can lead to permanent disabilities. If your baby sustained a bone fracture during childbirth that required additional medical care, you should find out more about filing a birth injury lawsuit and seeking financial compensation for losses.
It is particularly important to speak with a Chicago bone fractures attorney if your newborn suffered permanent harm. By filing a birth injury lawsuit, you may be able to hold the negligent healthcare provider accountable in addition to obtaining the compensation your baby will need for extensive medical care over the course of his or her life.
Chicago Bone Fractures and Birth Injuries
What types of bone fractures happen as birth injuries during labor and delivery, and what causes them? According to Merck, broken bone injuries can happen before or during childbirth, and they can occur even when there are no associated complications. The following are among the most common type of bone fracture injuries sustained by newborns during labor and delivery:
- Collarbone or clavicle fracture, which occurs in anywhere from 1 percent to 2 percent of all newborns;
- Upper arm bone, or humerus fracture;
- Upper leg bone, or femur fracture; and
- Skull fracture, which can result in life-threatening brain bleeds and other permanent brain damage.
Many collarbone or clavicle fractures will heal, but these birth injuries frequently happen when there is difficulty delivering the baby or when the baby is in breech position, according to Stanford Children’s Health. With some clavicle fractures, it is not immediately apparent that the newborn has suffered a broken bone. Instead, parents or a healthcare provider should notice that the baby is having difficulty moving his or her arm on the side of the body where the collarbone fracture occurred, or that a firm lump has formed on the clavicle within 10 days of childbirth. Skull fractures tend to be much more serious and can result in various types of hematomas or hemorrhages that require immediate treatment.
Liability for a Chicago Birth Injury Bone Fracture
If your newborn sustained a broken bone prior to or during childbirth, you could be eligible to file a claim against one or more healthcare providers whose negligence caused or contributed to the birth injury. The following healthcare providers are commonly named in birth injury lawsuits, including in claims involving bone fractures:
- Obstetrician who delivered the baby;
- Obstetric nurse (also known as an OB nurse or ob/gyn nurse) during labor and delivery;
- Hospital where the injury occurred; and/or
- Obstetrician responsible for providing prenatal care during the mother’s pregnancy who failed to identify a risk factor for a birth injury.
Contact a Birth Injury Attorney in Chicago
If your newborn sustained a broken bone during labor or delivery, one of our Chicago bone fracture lawyers can assist you. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC today for more information.
