Birth Injuries

A "birth injury" is defined as any type of damage to an infant's body before, during or just after birth. Complications in the process of pregnancy, labor and delivery can result in a wide variety of complications for a newborn baby. Birth injuries vary greatly - from very minor to being so severe as to cause the death of the infant. Some common types of birth injuries include:

  • skin irritations
  • temporary paralysis
  • fractured collar bone
  • fractured arm
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • brain damage
  • Erb's Palsy
  • Brachial Plexus Palsy

There are many circumstances where brain damage or brain injuries are caused by mistakes made by doctors, hospitals or other medical professionals during the delivery process: a delay in performing a necessary C-section delivery, complication with a VBAC (vaginal birth after C-Section) delivery - such as uterine rupture, use of excessive force during the delivery, or a miscalculation in the size of the baby, causing a traumatic delivery.

Unfortunately, doctors and hospitals will almost never admit fault or offer to pay reasonable damages to cover even the likely economic loss from an injury. Appropriate discovery is essential to knowing whether there is a case, and to knowing what the likely costs will be that are associated with any permanent injury. Therefore, it is important to consult an experienced birth injury attorney early because records and other information that are vital to knowing whether negligence occurred might be lost over time. Frequently hospitals and doctors will destroy or lose records within months of the delivery. Also, important witnesses such as nurses and therapists may forget details or move, making it difficult to recover essential facts.

Further, almost any time there is a problem with a patient, the hospital personnel and doctors will meet with their own lawyers to begin formulating a strategy to defend any potential case. Time is an important ally to both sides.

If your infant has suffered as the result of a birth injury , contact Brent M. Cordell for a free consultation. We will use our experience, knowledge and resources to achieve the best possible results for you and your family.