Akron Birth Injury Attorneys

Taking action against negligent medical professionals

The birth of a child should be a joyous time for parents and loved ones. Sadly, there are thousands of babies who are injured—or even killed—by the negligence of medical professionals every single year. In fact, it is estimated there are roughly 28,000 birth injuries every year in the United States—and thousands of these injuries are entirely preventable. At The Eisen Law Firm, our Akron birth injury attorneys are prepared to assist you through every step of a claim to ensure your family’s legal rights are protected.

The cause of birth injuries

If many birth injuries are preventable, what causes them? The answer is the negligence of medical professionals who have been entrusted with your baby’s care.

Birth injuries are more likely in certain situations, such as:

• The baby is large
• The baby is breech or is otherwise not positioned head first in the birth canal
• The baby is premature
• The size or shape of the mother’s pelvis or birth canal will make a vaginal birth difficult
• The contractions are not strong enough to move the baby down the birth canal, prolonging delivery
• The mother is obese
• A caesarean section becomes necessary
• Certain devices are used to assist with delivery, such as a vacuum or forceps

Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals should take the proper steps in the above situations to ensure no harm occurs to the mother or baby.

Common birth injuries

Fortunately, not all birth injuries result in lifelong disability. The most common birth injuries include:

• Swelling or bruising
• Bleeding underneath the cranial bones; the blood typically is reabsorbed by the body
• The rupturing of blood vessels in the baby’s eyes
• Nerve injuries
• Broken bones

Of course, more severe birth injuries may occur. For example, if a baby is deprived of oxygen during birth, the baby may suffer severe brain damage and cerebral palsy.

Birth injury claims

To prevail in a birth injury claim, a claimant must show:

• The medical professional owed a duty to the victim;
• This duty was breached when the medical professional acted negligently; and
• Due to this breach, the victim suffered damages.

Each of these elements must be proven for the claimant to be successful. If one of the elements is missing, the claim will fail and the victim will not be entitled to any damages.

The damages available in a birth injury claim include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages (or lost future earning capacity)
• The cost of future medical care
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial expenses

These are just a some of the types of damages that may be available in a birth injury case.

Contact leading Akron birth injury attorneys today for a free consultation

If your baby was injured and you think it may be due to the negligence of a medical professional, contact leading Akron birth injury attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm today. We offer a free consultation to discuss your legal options. To schedule your free consultation, call 216-687-0900 or contact us online.