A woman from Lake Worth, Florida, filed a personal injury lawsuit against her obstetrician/gynecologist and the staff at Bethesda Memorial Hospital. She alleges that they neglected to use the required level of care, skill and treatment at the time of her delivery. As a result of their negligence, her child suffered a brachial plexus injury,...
An appeals court upheld a $3 million verdict against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, for serious birth injuries that were caused by the mother’s ingestion of Topamax while she was pregnant. As reported in PRNewswire, the daughter of Kelly and Brian Anderson was born in 2008 with bilateral cleft...
A Miami, Florida, woman was awarded $23 million in damages by a Charlotte County Circuit Court jury for medical malpractice that resulted in her premature daughter being born with severe brain damage and cerebral palsy. The mother visited her obstetrician in 2010 when she was pregnant with her first child. At 24 weeks of pregnancy,...
A jury rendered an award of $53 million to a 12-year-old boy who was born with a serious brain injury following 12 hours of fetal distress in the course of the delivery. The trial in the medical malpractice cased lasted one month, and was initiated in December 2013 by the boy’s guardian, who filed a...
New research indicates the drug erythropoietin may be effective in protecting babies from brain damage. Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is a dangerous complication that can occur during delivery. Newborns suffer brain damage due to oxygen deprivation in the nervous system, which can cause debilitating birth injuries such as cerebral palsy and even death if left...
A family was awarded more than $4.8 million in a medical malpractice case arising from a birth injury that occurred over a decade ago. Guerline Cherenfant Jean, Loheirson Jean and their 14-year-old daughter filed the lawsuit in 2004 against a Fort Lauderdale midwife and doctor. Circuit Judge Michele Towbin Singer presided over the five-day trial...
The Many Types of Florida Birth Injuries and the Laws that Protect Victims
Many Florida parents have had their life changed in the blink of an eye when their babies suffered birth injuries at the hands of negligent medical doctors. What once was a happy occasion turned into a traumatic situation and medical emergency. When an expectant mother goes into labor, she is thinking about the excitement of...
Can epidurals be harmful for babies?
Epidurals have become a common method for managing pain during labor and delivery. Over half of all pregnant women in the United States choose to receive the injections for pain relief during childbirth. An epidural injection is a regional anesthesia administered intravenously around the lower spinal cord area. It is popular because it can help...
Why asthmatic pregnant women in big cities face a higher risk of preterm birth
A new study has found that expectant mothers with asthma may be at a greater risk of delivering prematurely if they are exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution just before conception and in early pregnancy. National Institutes of Health researchers noted both short-term and continuous exposure to carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides increased...
New app helps identify risk of premature birth
A new app called QUiPP could help doctors predict the risk of preterm deliveries. Infants born before 37 weeks’ gestation are considered premature. Each year 15 million babies worldwide are born prematurely. More than one million die from the resulting birth injures and complications. Doctors use several factors to determine the risk of premature birth...
How to Identify Toddler or Infant Head Injury Signs, A Parent’s Guide
Child head injuries get lots of attention in the sports arena, but concussions aren’t limited to young athletes and high school football players. Infants and toddlers also are prone to head injury. This is especially true as infants and young toddlers begin to crawl, walk and explore the world around them. Seeing your baby “bonk”...
Doctor’s Blaming Mothers for Birth Injuries – Know Your Rights
It is not unheard of for a doctor to blame a mother for her child’s birth injury. This is why it is so important for parents of injured children to understand their rights in a birth injury claim. An attorney can act as an advocate for the mother and injured child, fighting to represent the...
If My Child Suffered A Birth Injury, How Do I Know If A Medical Mistake Was Made?
A birth injury can be devastating for the parents and have lifelong effects for the child. Many birth injuries lead to disabilities that require extensive care. In some cases, parents may wonder if a medical mistake was the cause of their child’s birth injury, but they are unsure how to proceed. Not every medical condition...
What is Erb’s Palsy?
Erb’s palsy is a condition that is caused by an injury to the brachial plexus, which consists of the nerves around the shoulder. Erb’s palsy is also referred to as brachial palsy, Erb-Duchenned paralysis or Klumpke paralysis. The condition differs from other kinds of palsy, and is marked by frailty or lack of movement in...
What Are Some Types of Palsy Resulting from Birth Injuries in Infants?
What Are Some Types of Palsy Resulting from Birth Injuries in Infants? Injury during the birthing process can lead to certain types of palsy including: Erb’s: A type of paralysis from injury to the arm’s upper nerves. Klumpke’s: A type of paralysis from damage to the forearm or hand. Brachial Plexus: Injury of the spinal...
What You Should Know About Filing A Birth Injury Lawsuit?
If your child has suffered a birth injury due to the negligence of doctors or medical staff, you may be considering taking legal action to pursue fair compensation for medical expenses. Birth injuries can have a lasting impact on your child’s life and will likely require constant medical care. There are a number of important...
What Is A Wrongful Birth & Can You Receive Compensation From The Doctor Who Performed It?
Wrongful birth is a type of pediatric malpractice. It occurs when a parent is not given information about potential birth defects or medical complications that could influence the parent’s decision to avoid conception or terminate a pregnancy. Depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible to recover compensation from the doctor who performed a wrongful...
Is My Doctor Responsible for Erb’s Palsy?
A doctor may be responsible for Erb’s palsy in cases of medical negligence. The doctor’s error could occur during prenatal care, labor or delivery. Additionally, a failure to diagnose and begin treatment for Erb’s palsy may signal negligence. Parents may pursue compensation in a birth injury claim stemming from a doctor’s mistake. Compensation can address...