Chicago NICU Injuries Attorney
When you give birth and your newborn requires treatment or care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), you should be able to expect that the doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider responsible for providing care to new babies in the NICU will not make a devastating mistake that results in harm to your baby. However, NICU mistakes and accidents happen more often than many new parents would like to think, often due to a healthcare provider’s negligence. A Chicago NICU injuries lawyer can help you to seek compensation.
How Do Chicago NICU Injuries Occur?
Newborns may require treatment in a NICU if they were born prematurely, born at a low weight, or born with certain medical conditions. There are many different ways in which injuries can occur in NICUs, and the following are some of the most common types of injuries that affect newborns in NICU settings:
- Medication mistake;
- Failure to diagnose a birth injury;
- Resuscitation error;
- Error using feeding tubes or IVs; or
- Negligent monitoring of a breathing machine.
NICU Healthcare Providers Who May Be Liable for Injuries in Chicago
Many different types of NICU healthcare providers may provide care for your newborn in a NICU. When one of these healthcare providers makes a mistake or behaves negligently, your baby may be injured. In such cases, it could be possible to file a claim against one or more parties. According to Stanford Children’s Health, all of the following are healthcare providers who routinely care for newborns in hospital NICUs:
- Neonatologist;
- Neonatal fellow;
- Pediatric resident;
- Neonatal nurse practitioners;
- Respiratory therapist;
- Physical therapist;
- Occupational therapist;
- Speech therapist;
- Dietician;
- Lactation consultant; and
- Pharmacist.
In addition to individual providers, the hospital itself where the NICU is located may be liable for NICU injuries that occur there.
Statute of Limitations for a NICU Injury Claim in Chicago
If your newborn sustained an injury in the NICU, you will likely need to ensure that a lawsuit is filed within eight years from the date of the injury under Illinois law. One of our NICU injury lawyers in Chicago can begin working with you today to ensure that your claim is filed in a timely manner.
Contact Our Chicago NICU Injury Attorneys
If your newborn suffered injuries while in a NICU, you may be eligible to file a birth injury claim. While NICUs are designed to provide specialized care to infants with various conditions, including those born prematurely, serious errors can be made in NICUs, and irreversible harm can result. Whether your baby was harmed before entering the NICU, or your newborn did not receive proper or adequate care in the NICU and suffered injuries as a result, it is important to seek advice from our Chicago NICU injury lawyers as soon as possible to find out more about filing a claim for financial compensation.
New parents should never have to go through the difficult experience of learning that their baby has suffered harm because of a medical mistake. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC to learn more about how we can assist you.
