Birth Injuries
Birth injuries are a fact of modern medicine and unfortunately often result from a medical person, ie a doctor, midwife or other caregiver, failing in their duty of care to their patient. Sometimes the injury may have resulted because they didn't react quickly and properly to their patient's signs of distress or they provided an unacceptable level of care during pregnancy or childbirth.
Lack of appropriate care can result in irreversible or distressing damage to the mother or her child. For example, a lack of proper care can lead to brain damage, paralysis or even death for which the injured party may be able to take out birth injury claims.
Some of the most common birth injury claims are for injuries such as:
Erb's Palsy (also known as Brachial Plexus Palsy and Klumpke's Palsy);
perineal tears;
neonatal death;
negligent caesarean surgery;
and undiagnosed abnormalities.
Other birth injuries include:
trauma to a mother or baby resulting from a difficult birth, such as shoulder dystocia;
internal bleeding;
bone fractures;
forceps injuries
ventouse injuries;
spinal cord damage;
infections;
bruising and skin irritation.
If you or your baby have suffered a birth injury, you should seek legal advice from a team of birth injury lawyers to find out if you have a case and how to initiate proceedings.
To find out how to make a complaint, see the article: Birth Injury Complaints Procedures (NHS)