Exploring your legal options after birth injuries in Illinois
Giving birth always carries certain risks for both the mother and the baby. However, in most situations, competent doctors and nurses can anticipate complications and prevent them from becoming serious issues.
Occasionally, birth injuries can result as a consequence of labor. There are many reasons why this could happen, and sometimes they are unavoidable to the point that even the most competent doctor would not have been able to prevent them. However, there are other times when it is possible that the poor organization of the hospital or the negligence of a doctor could be blamed for directly causing the incident.
What can be defined as a birth injury?
There are differences between birth injuries and birth defects. A birth injury is generally something that occurred during the process of labor/delivery. A birth defect, meanwhile, is typically something that was present before the labor process took place. It is estimated that in the United States, five babies out of 1000 will be injured during the birth process.
How can birth injuries occur?
There are a range of different types of negligence that could lead to birth injuries. One is improper use of medical equipment. This could be due to interventions with the use of forceps or vacuums. It can potentially result in a lack of oxygen to the baby and in severe head injuries.
How can a lawsuit be successful for birth injuries in Illinois?
For a medical malpractice lawsuit involving a birth injury to be successful in Illinois, it must be proven that negligence and the wrongful actions of medical practitioners were present. It must be also be proven that such conduct contributed to the injury.
If your child has suffered a birth injury, it is important to consider whether you believe that the actions of a hospital or a medical practitioner led to this. If you think that the incident could have been prevented, you should consider taking action and looking into your options.