Georgia Birth Injury Lawyer

When the big day arrives, expecting mothers and fathers trust that the doctors, nurses, and ancillary staff at hospitals, birthing centers, and labor & delivery centers will provide the best care possible. That trust is reasonable.

After all, the process of giving birth is less risky compared to past generations thanks to advances in training that medical providers receive, and the tools for safely delivering babies that are at their disposal. Unfortunately, the providers entrusted with delivering babies sometimes make avoidable mistakes that cause serious, irreparable injuries to mothers and their babies.

While some medical complications are unavoidable, those caused by negligence or incompetence are inexcusable.

The skilled attorneys at Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. represent victims of medical malpractice. When negligence leads to an injury to your child, or to the mother during labor and delivery, our Georgia birth injury lawyers hold the right people responsible.

Call (706) 354-4000 or reach us online today for a free consultation.

Jump to a Topic:

What is a Birth Injury?

A birth injury is any damage or physical trauma that occurs to the child or mother during the birthing process.

Common Birth Injuries

While every case is different, there are some more common types of birth injuries including, but not limited to:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Oxygen deprivation
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Perinatal asphyxia, a decrease in blood flow to the baby’s tissues or a decrease in oxygen in the baby’s blood.
  • Bleeding in or around the brain
  • Paralysis
  • Blindness
  • Hearing loss
  • Nerve damage
  • Broken bones

The effects of a birth injury can be devastating for both mother and child. Serious cases may lead to catastrophic injuries due to severe blood loss or a traumatic brain injury. Cerebral palsy can be caused by a brain injury or problem that occurs during pregnancy or birth. It’s a result of lack of adequate blood flow and oxygen to the baby before or during birth.

In cases such as these, the mother or child may require lifelong care – or these injuries may lead to death.

What Can Cause a Birth Injury?

Negligence during labor or delivery can cause injuries ranging from nerve or brain damage to death of the mother or child. Some common types of negligence involve failure to evaluate and treat maternal health issues before childbirth, misuse of drugs such as Pitocin, poor delivery procedures, and/or failure to timely respond to complications.

Some other examples of negligence or medical malpractice may include, but are not limited to:

  • A failure to gather a complete and accurate medical history of the mother and/or child.
  • Overlooking infections such as Group B strep.
  • Overlooking drug allergies.
  • Administering incorrect or wrong amounts of anesthetic.
  • Administering the wrong amounts of Pitocin.
  • Negligent delay in delivery.
  • Failing to diagnose or treat post-operative injuries or infections.
  • Improper monitoring of the baby or mother.
  • Excessive force during the birthing process.

A History of Results

We have an established track record of bringing our clients results they expect and deserve. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients, and we know how to fight the insurance companies and medical facilities.

Signs your Child Was Injured During Labor and Delivery

While some birth injuries to an infant are immediately obvious such physical abnormalities, others may be harder to detect. Below is a list of symptoms that may indicate your baby suffered an injury during labor and delivery.

Keep in mind, the symptoms below do not always indicate a birth injury and may be the result of other complications or health issues:

  • Low APGAR scores; a test given to newborns soon after birth that checks a baby’s heart rate, muscle tone, and other signs to see if extra medical care is necessary.
  • Lack of crying
  • Low oxygen levels
  • Low heart rate
  • Broken bones
  • Seizures
  • Weak or lack of reflexes

Developmental Milestones

Developmental delays can be a sign of a birth injury. If your child is experiencing developmental delays and you suspect they were injured during labor and delivery, an experienced Georgia birth injury attorney can help investigate your case to determine whether your child’s developmental delays, physical disability, or mental and/or emotional disability is a result of medical malpractice.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website to view some developmental milestones, which are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children perform within a certain age range.

Liability

If you or your baby were injured by negligence during childbirth, you have the right to seek compensation for medical costs, future treatment, lost wages, and pain & suffering.

There are varying circumstances that may lead to a medical malpractice case against a hospital or other healthcare professionals. Our skilled medical malpractice and birth injury attorneys review each case in depth to determine whether malpractice or neglect contributed to an injury or death.

Below are some examples of when a hospital, doctor, or other health care worker may be held liable in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

  • Failure to monitor or negligence in monitoring the mother’s contractions. 
  • Failure to monitor or negligence in monitoring the baby’s heart rate. 
  • Failing to have adequate staff for an emergency C-section.
  • A lack of training of the doctors, nurses, or ancillary staff.
  • Any violation of the standard of care.

Schedule a Consultation with a Georgia Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you or your baby were injured during labor and delivery, our experienced medical malpractice attorneys have the skills and knowledge to recover the compensation you deserve. We can determine whether you have a valid case, investigate the hospital’s policy and procedures, consider the care and treatment rendered by the doctors and ancillary care givers, and work with experts in the medical field to evaluate your or your child’s condition and treatment. We will protect your interests by pursuing a case against the doctors, staff, or facility responsible, and by representing you at trial, if necessary.

If your child suffered injuries because a doctor, nurse, or other ancillary staff member failed to diagnose or treat them properly, or your loved one died because of negligence during labor and delivery, contact us today.

Please call our office at (706) 354-4000 to schedule a free consultation or fill out our contact form to tell us more about your case.

Disclaimer of information & Content

The content of Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.’s website is for information only, not advice or guarantee of outcome. No individuals should use this information to self-diagnose or self-treat any health-related condition. Please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional for medical advice or information about diagnosis and treatment.