Alton Birth Injuries Lawyers
Legal help for injuries suffered during pregnancy, labor, and delivery in Illinois
The birth of a child is a momentous occasion in any parent’s life; perhaps one of a happy couple’s most important and memorable experiences. That makes it all the more painful when, after months of anticipation and preparation, a negligent labor and delivery can turn a joyous moment into a lifetime of pain and suffering for the infant and parents.
Fortunately, there are legal remedies to fight against substandard care and negligence on the part of trained medical professionals. The Alton attorneys at Glisson Law are experts in birth injuries and understand how to help children and their families secure the compensation they both need and deserve for the harm they’ve experienced. We know how to hold negligent medical professionals responsible, and we want to help.
What are birth injuries?
Birth injuries fall under the umbrella of medical malpractice, meaning a fetus or mother suffered harm due to a medical professional’s negligence. A 2020 article in Clinical Therapeutics describes the difference between birth injuries and birth defects:
Birth defects, caused by a health condition or illness that form while a child is developing in the womb, are different from birth injuries, which are caused by complications occurring during labor or delivery. Birth injuries are often avoidable and might even be brought about by malpractice on the part of physicians or health care facilities.
The researchers also note that birth injuries average between six to eight per every 1000 live births. We know that if you are the parent of an injured child, even one preventable injury is one too many.
What are some examples of birth injuries?
Our Alton attorneys have 25 years of experience representing families just like yours in birth injury claims. We handle a wide variety of injuries, including:
- Brachial plexus injuries. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that stem from the neck and torso and create a network of nerves to the arm. Injuries can cause loss of sensation to the arm, wrist, and hand. Per Hopkins Medicine, “In babies, the brachial plexus nerves in the shoulder are vulnerable during birth. Injury to the brachial plexus is fairly common during birth, occurring in one to two births per 1,000.”
- Cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy (CP) is “a condition that affects movement and muscle tone” and occurs in about three of every 1,000 live births. Hopkins Medicine notes “people living with cerebral palsy can have neurological and musculoskeletal problems that affect posture, sensory perceptions, communication, movement and other functions.” Brain injuries during pregnancy, labor, and delivery can all contribute to development of CP.
- Failure to perform C-section. Failing to perform a Caesarean section in a timely manner can contribute to serious birth injuries. Your obstetrician should know when a C-section is necessary. Failed C-sections can lead to brain injuries, brachial plexus injuries, and lack of oxygen.
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Per USCF Hospital, HIE “is a type of brain dysfunction that occurs when the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen or blood flow for a period of time. Hypoxic means not enough oxygen; ischemic means not enough blood flow; and encephalopathy means brain disorder.” This condition can occur from umbilical cord problems, placental bleeding, prolonged labor, and other issues.
- Preeclampsia. This is a condition some expectant mothers experience that, if left untreated, can cause great harm to both mother and child. The Mayo Clinic reports, “The defining feature of preeclampsia is high blood pressure, proteinuria, or other signs of damage to the kidneys or other organs. You may have no noticeable symptoms. The first signs of preeclampsia are often detected during routine prenatal visits with a health care provider.”
Other common birth injuries include:
- Cephalohematoma (bruising of the skull)
- Facial paralysis
- Fractured collarbone
- Infections
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Kernicterus (a type of brain damage caused by high levels of bilirubin)
- Meconium aspiration (inhaling a baby's first stool)
Our Alton birth injury lawyers get to the bottom of what caused your child’s birth injury and work to hold every liable party accountable.
Why do birth injuries happen?
A variety of oversights and shortcuts on the part of medical professionals can lead to birth injuries. All it takes to throw the delivery of a healthy child off-track is not noticing a critical problem, or failing to take a crucial preventative measure.
The following mistakes can lead to serious injuries or the death of a child:
- Failure to notice a fetus is suffering from a lack of oxygen
- Performing a cesarian section after the optimal time has passed
- Failing to realize and account for a breech position baby in time
- Improper or negligent use of medical tools, like forceps or vacuum extraction
- Failure to follow hospital procedure
These are just some of the ways doctors, despite their good intentions, can jeopardize a baby’s health and cost families a barrage of additional medical bills – not to mention pain, suffering, and heartache.
How can your Alton birth injury attorneys help my case?
Once the attorneys at Glisson Law take a case, we work tirelessly to obtain a recovery for your medical expenses, time lost from work dealing with your or your baby’s injuries, and the pain and suffering your family has endured.
As with all medical malpractice cases, birth injury lawsuits can be difficult and expensive to prosecute. Considering the high cost of holding depositions and finding medical experts to testify, as well as our policy of not billing clients unless a recovery is made, you can rest assured that when we take your case, we’re committed to seeing it through to success. Feel free to look over our Results page to see what we’ve already done for folks just like you.
What is the value of my birth injury case?
When a baby suffers injury at birth, especially a developmental disorder, they may require a lifetime of medical care. Your child may experience pain and challenges for the rest of their life, and the financial strain is enough to bankrupt a family. It shouldn’t have to be this way – especially when a physician’s negligence caused these injuries.
Our attorneys work to recover damages for your and your child’s:
- Medical expenses, current and future
- Lost wages and future income
- Rehabilitative therapies and specialists
- Medications and adaptive devices
- Therapists and aides
- Special education costs
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
We can determine the scope of your child’s injuries to find out if your family is entitled to any other damages.
Do you have a birth injuries lawyer near me?
Glisson Law is located at 111 East Fourth Street, Suite 400, in Alton, IL. We’re a block away from City Hall, and you can find plenty of parking across the street. There’s also a bus stop right outside our office. Glisson Law conducts phone and video conferences when applicable, and makes home and hospital visits if you cannot travel to us.
Talk to our compassionate Alton birth injuries attorneys today
If you suspect your child’s birth injury may have been caused by medical negligence, contact the Alton legal team at Glisson Law. We can look into what happened, talk to the right people, and determine whether you have a case against your medical provider. When you’re ready to move forward, we’ll fight aggressively for the compensation to which you’re entitled. To schedule a free consultation, call our offices or fill out our contact form today. We serve families in Belleville, Edwardsville, St. Clair and Madison County, and all of Southwestern Illinois.