Chicago Maternal Birth Injury Attorney
Birth injuries affecting mothers can result in severe pain, and in some cases they can have long-term effects on the health of the mother. While maternal birth injuries do not always result from medical negligence, an ob-gyn’s error is often the cause of a serious maternal birth injury. These injuries can happen during pregnancy, and they can also occur during labor and delivery. In some cases, maternal birth injuries will involve infections and other conditions that occur just after childbirth.
If you recently gave birth and experienced a serious injury, you should seek advice from a Chicago maternal birth injury attorney. An advocate at our firm can assess your case and provide you with more information about filing a lawsuit.
Getting the Facts About Maternal Birth Injuries in Chicago
Maternal birth injuries, or injuries that occur during pregnancy and childbirth, are more common than many people might think. As ProPublica explains, while almost four million women have babies every year and most of them without serious injuries, more than 50,000 of those mothers experience severe and sometimes life-threatening injuries and complications.
Indeed, the U.S. currently has “the highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world,” and anywhere from 700 to 900 maternal deaths occur in childbirth every year. About 1 out of every 70 women will suffer “hemorrhages, organ failure, or other significant complications.”
Chicago Maternal Birth Injuries
Maternal birth injuries in Chicago can take many different forms. The following are some of the most common types of birth injuries that can affect the mother:
- Placental abruption;
- Preeclampsia and eclampsia;
- Uterine rupture;
- Pelvic organ prolapse;
- Episiotomy;
- Hemorrhages and severe bleeding during or after childbirth;
- Pelvic or coccyx fractures or bruising;
- Unnecessary cesarean delivery, or C-section; and
- Infection following a childbirth procedure.
Timeline for a Chicago Maternal Birth Injury Claim
Maternal birth injuries caused by a healthcare provider’s negligence can result in a medical malpractice lawsuit. In order to be eligible for financial compensation in a medical malpractice claim, you must file your lawsuit within two years from the date of the injury under Illinois law. Failure to file your lawsuit within that two-year window can result in a time-barred claim, which can prevent you from obtaining the compensation you deserve and can limit your ability to hold the negligent healthcare provider accountable.
Seek Advice from a Chicago Maternal Birth Injury Attorney
Maternal birth injuries can vary widely in terms of severity, and they can have many different causes. While some maternal birth injuries can result from factors unrelated to medical negligence, many maternal birth injuries do happen because of a healthcare provider’s negligence. Even if the mother has an existing condition or certain risk factors, the ob-gyn and other healthcare providers have a duty to properly monitor the mother and to make decisions based on that patient’s health history.
When maternal birth injuries could have been prevented with better care, the mother may be able to file a medical malpractice claim. Our Chicago maternal birth injury lawyers can help. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC for more information.