Chicago Spinal Cord Injuries
Birth injuries in Chicago can take many different forms, and birth injuries can range widely in terms of their seriousness or severity. While any birth injury should certainly be cause for concern and may allow for a civil lawsuit in order to seek damages, some birth injuries are much more serious than others. Indeed, in many birth injury cases, the newborn ultimately can recover in full or in large part from the injury. Yet spinal cord injuries are different. These are some of the most severe types of birth injuries that can affect a newborn, and it is essential to seek help with a claim from a Chicago spinal cord injuries lawyer.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries During Chicago Childbirths
Spinal cord injuries are rare during childbirth, but they are also among the most serious injuries that can occur during labor and delivery. According to Merck, “spinal cord injuries due to overstretching during delivery are extremely rare,” but “these injuries can result in paralysis below the site of the injury.” In most cases, when a baby sustains a spinal cord injury during childbirth, the spinal cord damage is permanent, and the baby is paralyzed permanently. In some cases, spinal cord birth injuries can result in death. Indeed, as Merck explains, “some spinal cord injuries that occur high up in the neck are fatal because they prevent the newborn from breathing properly.”
Spinal cord injuries are one type of nerve injury or nerve damage that can occur during labor and delivery, and they are the most serious form of nerve-damaging birth injury. Most of these injuries result from complicated deliveries in which the baby is stretched or pulled, and the spinal cord is damaged.
Statute of Limitations for Birth Injury Spinal Cord Paralysis
In general, claims arising out of medical negligence typically have a two-year statute of limitations under Illinois law. Accordingly, most spinal cord injury claims tied to a healthcare provider’s mistake must be filed within two years from the date that the healthcare provider’s negligence caused the injury. However, most types of birth injury claims have an extended statute of limitations, allowing the plaintiff to file a claim within eight years from the date of the injury. Illinois law recognizes that the losses associated with many types of serious birth injuries may not be obvious at the outset, and it may take time to realize the gravity of the damages. As such, the statute of limitations is extended beyond the typical medical negligence clock.
Contact Our Chicago Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys
If your child suffered a spinal cord injury during childbirth due to a healthcare provider’s error or mistake during delivery, it is critical to learn more about filing a birth injury lawsuit. One of the experienced Chicago spinal cord injury lawyers at our firm can provide you with more information about moving forward with a claim. Spinal cord injuries can be devastating, and they can result in permanent disabilities.
It is critical to hold the negligent healthcare provider accountable for a debilitating birth injury. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC to learn more about how we can assist you.
