Illinois Birth Complications Attorney
Usually, birth complications is a euphemism that doctors use to describe various birth injuries that are usually quite serious. The C-word implies that doctors did their best from start to finish and therefore the resulting injury was unavoidable. Usually, both these things are untrue. Negligence, or a lack of care, could occur at any point in the PLDR (prenatal, labor, delivery, and recovery) process. If negligence causes injury, that’s not an unavoidable accident. Instead, it is a mistake. We all make mistakes, and we must all face the consequences of our mistakes. In this context, these consequences usually include paying compensation for damages.
Usually, risky shortcuts cause mistakes and injuries. So, the diligent Illinois birth complications attorneys at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman never take shortcuts as we prepare and litigate your claim for damages. Instead, we build your claim one brick at a time. The result is a strong wall that can withstand various insurance company defenses. The outcome, which is usually a favorable out-of-court settlement, often exceeds our clients’ expectations.
Kinds of Birth Complication Injuries
As a rule of thumb, about one in ten births involves some unusual twists and turns. About one in ten of these births includes a serious complication, such as:
- Infant Head Injuries: Fragile newborns have extremely thin skulls. Therefore, they are especially susceptible to cranial compression injuries and other such wounds. Excessive force during delivery usually causes these wounds.
- Maternal Injuries: Hemorrhages are one of the most common maternal birth injuries. There is simply so much stress on the mother’s body that blood vessels almost literally burst open. Preeclampsia (maternal high blood pressure) is a related condition that has similar effects.
- Serious Infant Illnesses: Uncontrolled maternal diabetes is one of the biggest risk factors when it comes to birth complications. Uncontrolled fetal diabetes, or hypoglycemia mismanagement, is common as well. These serious illnesses often have lifelong effects.
- Hospital Negligence: A timely referral to the NICU, and proper treatment in the NICU, could literally be a lifesaving experience for a tiny baby struggling for life. An untimely referral, untimely discharge, or inadequate care could, unfortunately, be a life-ending experience for that same infant.
Sometimes, these injuries are immediately apparent. Other times, the effects do not become apparent for weeks, months, or even years thereafter. Usually, a Chicago birth complications attorney can obtain maximum compensation in all these situations.
Damages Available
A newborn injury could mean a lifetime of very high medical bills, considering necessary revision surgery and maintenance healthcare. Lost wages come into play as well. Frequently, at least one parent leaves his/her job to become a full-time caregiver in these situations.
Victims badly need compensation for these current and future economic losses. Without such compensation, they would most likely have to depend on taxpayer-funded government programs. In other words, you and I would pay for a doctor’s medical mistake. That’s simply not right. We all make mistakes, and we should all accept responsibility for the mistakes we make.
The losses in a birth injury claim are not limited to economic losses. These families must also endure substantial pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other noneconomic losses. No one should have to endure such things after incidents that were not their fault. Victims not only deserve this compensation. They need it in order to obtain closure.
Compensatory damages are usually insufficient in medical negligence cases. Unless these doctors must pay substantial punitive damages, they will most likely repeat the same mistakes and chalk up the losses to the cost of doing business. Birth injury victims have a moral responsibility to protect other families if they can. Punitive damages could be the key in this area.
Work with a Passionate Chicago Cook County Attorney
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced birth complications attorney in Chicago, contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman by going online or calling 410-567-0800. After-hours visits are available.
