Some people may think birth injuries are a thing of the past due to advancements in medical technology. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Statistics show that nearly seven birth injuries occur for every 1,000 live births in the United States, according to wd.org. This included 6.83 birth injuries for every 1,000 male births and 5.06 birth injuries for every 1,000 female births.
These numbers are far too high, especially since birth injuries can lead to life-long health issues and physical disabilities.
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For example, I recently represented a child who suffered shoulder dystocia, a permanent arm injury, during birth. The nurse-midwife who assisted in the child’s birth was negligent and pulled the baby out improperly causing permanent nerve damage.
I fought hard to get as much compensation as possible for my client since the child’s life will be changed forever due to the injury. Just think, this child may never be able to play sports or even put on a shirt with the assistance of another person because of the negligent care provided at birth.
Fortunately, a jury recognized that the child was a helpless victim and the nurse-midwife was negligent. The jury awarded the child $2.3 million and $60,000 to the mother for reimbursement of medical expenses, as reported in the Virginian-Pilot.
If you or a loved one has a child who suffered a birth injury, speak to a lawyer who has experience handling these types of personal injury claims.
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