Chicago, IL 60601
FREE CONSULTATIONS 312-462-4200
TOLL FREE 833-462-4200
Recent Blog Posts
If My Baby or I Was Harmed by a VBAC, Can I Sue?
In 2023, C-section deliveries accounted for 32.3 percent of live births in the U.S. That same year, 15.1 out of 100 live births were by vaginal birth after a Cesarean (VBAC). A C-section delivery may be medically necessary for various reasons. That does not necessarily mean that subsequent deliveries would require that surgery. However, there are known risks associated with a VBAC. Uterine rupture is the most common, and that can harm both mother and child.
If medical negligence caused your or your baby’s injuries, you may be entitled to compensation. Any kind of medical malpractice case is complex, but our skilled Chicago, IL maternal and birth injuries lawyers can help.
Can I Sue for Harm Caused by My Baby’s Shoulder Dystocia?
The human birth canal is relatively narrow, but a baby’s entire body must pass through it during a vaginal delivery. In a normal birth, the baby’s head emerges first, followed by one shoulder, then the other. The baby’s body passes between the mother’s pubic bones during delivery, but in some cases, one or both of the baby’s shoulders become stuck in that area. Known as shoulder dystocia, this medical emergency requires immediate intervention to prevent harm to the mother and child.
Medical staff should know shoulder dystocia risk factors and be prepared to take appropriate action if the child’s shoulders become lodged during labor and delivery. If you or your child is harmed by shoulder dystocia because of a medical error, our experienced Chicago, IL birth injuries attorneys can help you pursue maximum compensation.
Can I Sue If My Baby’s Breech Position Was Mishandled?
When babies are ready to be born, their heads are usually the first through the birth canal. However, some babies do not make it into the correct position. A breech position places the baby’s buttocks, feet, or knees at the entrance to the birth canal rather than the head. The risk of complications is high, so doctors and midwives must follow specific procedures.
If healthcare providers did not follow those procedures and you or your child was harmed, one of our experienced Chicago, IL birth injury lawyers can hold them accountable and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Can a Doctor Tell If a Baby Is Breech?
A baby’s position tends to change during pregnancy. Ultrasounds, physical exams, and feeling the mother’s abdomen should help medical professionals determine the baby’s position as it grows. If the fetus does not turn by itself into the proper birth position as the due date nears, your obstetrician should monitor you and the baby closely. He or she should explain the possible treatment options to keep you from experiencing undue complications and injuries.
What Is Obstetric Gaslighting in Birth Injury Cases?
The term "gaslighting" is usually associated with personal and romantic relationships. It describes a type of psychological manipulation aimed toward making the victim question their reality, perceptions, and sanity. Although medical gaslighting is a newly coined term, it describes a similar dismissiveness by doctors that has existed for a long time. Although a patient shares concerns with the physician, those concerns are dismissed as invalid and unworthy of exploring.
Sadly, women’s concerns are often downplayed. Obstetric gaslighting can cause both birth and maternal injuries. If your healthcare team dismissed your concerns and that dismissal resulted in harm, a skilled Chicago, IL birth injury lawyer can help you substantiate your claim and maximize your compensation.
Are Medical Professionals Biased Against Women?
Historically, women’s complaints about health issues are often brushed off. Alternative explanations, like hormone fluctuations and mental health conditions, are often assumed to be the cause. Men who report similar symptoms are usually taken more seriously.
How Can Epidural Errors Harm Mothers and Babies?
Natural childbirth is notoriously quite painful. Many expectant mothers prefer to skip the pain by receiving anesthesia through an epidural. Many C-section deliveries also use epidurals. Used in the obstetrics field since as early as 1931, around 75 percent of U.S. women use epidural anesthesia during childbirth. When administered properly, mothers should not have lasting side effects. However, epidural errors can harm both mother and baby.
If your family was harmed by avoidable epidural errors, you could be entitled to compensation. Working with a skilled Cook County, IL maternal injuries lawyer can increase your likelihood of receiving as much as you deserve.
What Are Common Epidural Errors?
Anesthesiologists or certified registered nurse anesthetists are usually responsible for administering and monitoring epidurals. Various mistakes can be made with medication, placement, and monitoring, including:
March Is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of developmental disorders that affects roughly 1 in 323 U.S. children. Congenital CP cases are the most common, when brain damage affects a baby during pregnancy or childbirth. The effects on children with CP can be mild, moderate, or severe, with some children developing multiple symptoms.
Several known risk factors are associated with CP. Competent medical providers are expected to understand and identify those risks and take extra precautions when they are present. If medical negligence caused your child’s cerebral palsy, you may be entitled to compensation. One of our knowledgeable Chicago, IL birth injury attorneys can evaluate your case and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
How Can a Baby’s Birth Injuries Impact Parental Emotions?
Expectant parents often daydream about what their child will be like. From imagining playing with your baby to picturing them as they grow, you probably have high expectations for things you can barely wait to see unfold. When your newborn has a birth injury, your excitement can come to a screeching halt as you realize how significantly your life may have changed.
Along with obvious concern for your child, you may be dealing with overwhelming emotional trauma. Mothers are more likely to experience postpartum depression, but fathers can be devastated as well. If your baby’s birth injury is the result of medical negligence, you may be entitled to various forms of compensation. However, you have a much better chance of collecting the maximum amount if you choose a skilled Chicago, IL birth injury attorney to handle your medical malpractice claim.
If Medical Negligence Leads to a Hysterectomy, Can I Sue?
Sometimes, mistakes can be corrected. Medical errors are often more serious, but some of those can be remedied with proper treatment. A hysterectomy prevents a woman from ever giving birth to more children, and it is irreversible. While some hysterectomies are medically necessary through no fault of your physician, others result from medical negligence.
Along with the expenses and physical pain from this surgical procedure, patients can also suffer emotionally. Your eligible damages will probably be quite high, but that does not mean you will receive everything you are entitled to from the insurer. When you choose one of our dedicated Cook County, IL maternal injury lawyers, we will fight on your behalf to recover the maximum amount of available compensation.
When Might a Hysterectomy Be Indicated?
Many conditions that do not involve medical negligence can indicate the need for a woman’s uterus to be removed through a surgical or laparoscopic hysterectomy. Ovaries and the cervix are often removed, as well. For example, endometriosis, cancer, fibroid tumors, uterine prolapse, and chronic pain or bleeding sometimes require a partial or full hysterectomy. However, providers can also make medical errors that make an unwanted hysterectomy necessary. These negligent errors include:
Can a CP Birth Injury Case Cover Adaptive Equipment?
As the most common childhood motor disability, cerebral palsy(CP) is a brain disorder that affects muscle control. It can cause speech, vision, intellectual, and hearing impairments. Although some cases of CP are genetic, others result from birth injuries and are, therefore, preventable. While the symptoms differ and can change throughout life, there is no cure for cerebral palsy.
Various adaptive equipment and technologies may be required to help those with CP. The costs of these aids can be extremely high, but if your child’s CP resulted from negligent medical care, a skilled Chicago, IL birth injuries lawyer can help you seek monetary compensation.
Do Missed Developmental Milestones Indicate Birth Injury?
If you have a newborn, your pediatrician, family, and friends will soon be asking about whether your baby smiles yet, can hold her or his head up independently, rolls over, or can accomplish many other significant developmental milestones. You probably plan to keep track of the first time these momentous events occur. But what if the anticipated time passes and your baby still cannot sit, stand, walk, or speak?
Could these missed milestones indicate a birth injury that went unnoticed until now? Can you still seek compensation? A skilled Chicago, IL birth injury attorney can assess your eligibility for damages and help you pursue the full amount you deserve.
What Kinds of Birth Injuries Can Cause Delayed Development?
There are many birth injuries that can lead to missed developmental milestones, such as:
312-462-4200
60 W Randolph Street, Suite 400,
Chicago, IL 60601
Contact Our Firm
The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.
I have read and understand the Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.
