Complications in the labor process could result in doctors using forceps during delivery. While these instruments are used in many births, they pose risks to the unborn child. Forceps injuries can cause long-term complications and permanent impairments.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys in Chicago, IL, our legal team has a proven track record of success, winning over 99% of the time. We’ll devote the full resources of our law firm to winning your birth injury case. Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers have decades of combined legal experience and have won over $100 million in settlements and verdicts.
We will fight to get you and your child the justice you deserve. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options with a Chicago forceps injury lawyer. Give us a call at (312) 726-1616.
How Our Chicago Birth Injury Lawyers Can Help if Your Child Sustained a Forceps Injury During Labor and Delivery
Labor and delivery do not always go as planned. Complications may require emergency medical intervention. However, the decisions made by doctors can have adverse consequences for the infant, including forceps injuries.
If your baby sustained a forceps injury, you and your child may be entitled to compensation for damages. However, proving your case can be challenging. You need experienced, aggressive Chicago medical malpractice attorneys on your side.
Our law firm and lawyers have appeared on numerous news outlets, including The Chicago Tribune, WGN America, NBC, and CBS. We are nationally recognized and top-rated by Best Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.
When you hire our top-rated personal injury lawyers in Chicago, IL, you can expect us to:
- Investigate to determine how the forceps injury happened
- Identify the party or parties responsible for causing the injury
- Gather evidence proving fault and liability, including working with leading medical specialists and other expert witnesses
- Document the damages in your case to determine how much the claim is worth
- File insurance claims and handle all matters related to settling them
- Aggressively negotiate a fair settlement based on the value of your damages
- Pursue all injury claims and take your case to court if necessary
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we understand that you and your family have been through a devastating event. Our legal team will handle all the aspects of your case so you can focus on your baby.
Call us today to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced forceps injury attorneys in Chicago, Illinois.
The Use of Forceps During Labor and Delivery
Forceps are a medical tool used to help move the baby through the birth canal. Large clamps are placed on the side of the baby’s head to help with movement and position.
Doctors may decide to use forceps during delivery for several reasons, including:
- To move the baby to a more favorable position
- The baby is not moving down the birth canal after several hours of pushing
- There is a medical condition that makes continued pushing dangerous
- The baby is showing signs of distress and needs to be delivered immediately
In general, forceps are not used unless there is an urgent medical necessity. If forceps do not help or cannot be used, an emergency C-section might be required.
What Are the Risks of Using Forceps During Delivery?
There are several risks associated with using forceps during a delivery.
Forceps injuries and complications include:
- Severe tearing for the mother
- Prolonged healing time for the mother
- Urination and bowel problems after delivery for the mother
- Bruises, marks, and bumps on the baby’s head and face
- Cone-shaped swelling of the baby’s head
- The baby may sustain cuts and lacerations from the forceps
- The pressure of the forceps could cause nerve damage
- Bleeding in the baby’s brain
- Skull fractures and broken bones
The risk of injuries increases if the doctor places the forceps in the wrong position on the baby’s head. Forceps may also be used during the wrong stage of delivery, which increases the risk of harm.
A forceps injury can cause lifelong medical conditions and impairments, including seizures, facial palsy, brain damage, cerebral palsy, and disfigurement. If you suspect that the use of forceps injured your baby, seek immediate medical treatment from another provider.
What Damages Can I Receive in a Forceps Injury Claim in Chicago, Illinois?
The compensation available in a medical malpractice claim for a forceps injury includes economic and non-economic damages.
Examples of damages in a forceps injury claim include:
- The cost of you and your child’s medical care and treatment
- Costs of rehabilitation and therapy
- Future costs of education, personal care, and medical treatment for disabilities and impairments
- Out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the parents
- Loss of income and wages for the parents because they missed work to care for their child
- A child’s diminished earning capacity because of an impairment
- The physical and emotional pain and suffering a child has experienced and will endure because of a forceps injury
Injuries from a forceps delivery can be debilitating. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys will pursue all available claims.
However, the Illinois statute of limitations limits the time to file a medical malpractice birth injury claim. Do not wait to contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys to discuss your situation with an attorney.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Chicago Forceps Injury Lawyers
Birth injuries are often avoidable and caused by medical negligence. At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we fight to hold doctors and other healthcare providers accountable for their errors and wrongdoings. Contact our law firm to schedule your free case review with an experienced Chicago forceps injury attorney.
