If your baby suffers a birth injury, the joy you express upon their arrival can quickly turn to concern and sadness. And if the injury was preventable, you may even experience anger. Breech births are one example, though they are relatively rare events. Nevertheless, when they happen, they can lead to serious complications.
Fortunately, Illinois law gives parents the legal right to pursue compensation when a doctor’s negligence causes harm during labor or delivery. A breech birth complications lawyer in Chicago, IL, can help you fight for compensation to secure your child’s future.
Contact our law firm at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys for a free case evaluation to discuss your legal rights. Call us at (312) 726-1616.
How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help With a Breech Birth Injury Claim in Chicago, IL
Since 2009, Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys has fought for clients throughout Chicago, Illinois, against those who injured them or their family members. Our Chicago birth injury lawyers have decades of experience fighting powerful malpractice insurers. We’ll use our skills to help your child recover the resources they will need for the injuries they suffered.
In particular, we can handle the following tasks for you:
- Review your case and present your options for seeking compensation
- Gather documents to support your birth injury claim
- File an insurance claim and fight for a fair settlement
- Litigate against insurers that refuse to settle
A birth injury can change the course of your child’s entire life, so do not hesitate to contact our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your infant’s injuries and how we can help you pursue an injury claim against the responsible entity.
How Often Do Breech Births Happen?
A breech birth, in which the fetus is positioned upside-down during labor, is a rare occurrence, only taking place in 3% to 4% of live births. Those odds can increase to anywhere between 10% to 27% if the mother has previously delivered a breech baby. Thus, a prior breech delivery is a sign doctors use to predict risk.
Beyond that, responsible and cautious doctors will look for signs that the fetus is improperly positioned during every ultrasound. If the baby appears as though it will fail to move into the correct position in time, the doctor can reposition it before labor starts.
Even after labor begins, doctors can still take steps to reposition the baby. If a doctor misses a breech presentation or these efforts fail to resolve the problem, the baby may be born feet-first.
Overview of Breech Birth Complications
A breech birth can cause a range of complications, such as:
Anoxic or Hypoxic Injuries
If the baby’s umbilical cord is compressed during birth, the blood circulating between them and their mother will be disrupted. The lack of oxygen can permanently damage the baby’s brain within a few minutes, potentially killing them or rendering them brain-dead shortly thereafter.
Physical Injuries
A baby can suffer bruises, strained muscles and tendons, dislocated joints, or even fractured bones during a breech birth. Specifically, the child’s body will become contorted during a breech birth, the added pressure of which can cause orthopedic injuries.
The baby might also suffer other physical injuries while the doctor pulls on the baby’s body during delivery. Rough handling by way of the doctor’s hands or instruments like forceps can damage the baby’s skin and soft tissues.
Nerve Damage
When a baby’s body is handled particularly roughly, its nerves can get damaged. For example, pulling a baby’s arm can cause Erb’s palsy, a condition that arises when the nerves of the brachial plexus (located in the baby’s shoulder) are stretched or torn. As a result, the child will have paralysis and weakness in the injured shoulder and arm.
Similarly, using forceps to pull on the baby’s head can damage facial nerves. The child may lose their ability to produce facial expressions due to paralysis in the face and head.
How an Attorney Can Help With a Chicago Birth Injury Claim
Medical malpractice cases are complicated. Malpractice insurers have nearly unlimited resources, and they will fight hard to avoid paying expensive claims. Moreover, doctors must protect their reputations and will, therefore, do everything in their power to fight against your allegations.
A birth injury lawyer in Chicago will gather evidence showing what happened. To win a malpractice case, your lawyer must show that the doctor acted negligently.
Some common acts of negligence that can result in a breech birth include the following:
- Failing to diagnose a breech birth
- Failing to treat the baby to reposition them
- Unskillfully treating the baby, injuring them
If your lawyer can successfully prove negligence, your child can recover compensation for past and future medical care, lost earnings, and pain & suffering.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Chicago Breech Birth Complications Attorneys
Children born with birth injuries can face a lifetime of medical issues. Contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys for a free consultation with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney to discuss your child’s options for compensation.
