Helping Newborn Victims Of Medical Malpractice

What is arguably one of the most important days in a parent’s life can quickly take a turn for the worst. Childbirth can be tainted if negligence or improper care on the part of the attending nurses or doctors results in a birth injury that will likely forever change the life of the child and family. During pregnancy, labor and childbirth, both the mother and the unborn baby must be closely monitored for dangerous conditions such as hypoxia and fetal distress. If they are not, devastating and life-threatening conditions such as brain or nerve damage and cerebral palsy may occur.



A birth injury can have lifelong consequences and expenses, and the family should not be responsible for the cost. If you suspect that your child was injured due to the negligence of the attending nurse, physician or another party, we at Jacobs Law LLC, today to learn more about your legal rights.

What Are Birth Injuries?

A difficult birth or injury to the baby may be caused by the baby’s size or position during labor or delivery. Conditions sometimes associated with a difficult birth can include large babies, prolonged labor, premature birth, an abnormal birthing presentation, cephalopelvic disproportion where the pelvis is too small to accommodate the baby, or dystocia. If the attending physician fails to provide care based on one or more of the aforementioned factors, he or she may be held responsible for any injuries or deaths that occur.

One of the most severe health conditions caused by medical malpractice during childbirth is cerebral palsy, a condition that occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the unborn baby’s brain. While cerebral palsy is not always considered a birth injury, medical malpractice might have played a role if delivery was delayed, the child was severely jaundiced or the mother had preeclampsia. Cerebral palsy can have a lifelong impact on the child and his or her family because it encompasses several neurological disorders that can hinder body movement and muscle coordination. Other serious birth injuries may include:

• Erb’s Palsy
• Facial paralysis
• Fractured bones
• Cephalohematoma
• Bruising or forceps marks
• Swelling of the baby’s scalp
• Subconjunctival hemorrhage
• Brain injury due to a lack of oxygen

The Importance Of Seeking Legal Counsel

Distinguishing between unavoidable circumstances and injuries caused by irresponsibility or negligence is a challenge that often requires the assistance of an experienced birth injury attorney. At Jacobs Law LLC, we understand that many factors can contribute to complications during labor and childbirth, including the timing of the delivery, the mother’s health and the position of the baby. Additionally, certain methods and instruments used by the medical team may contribute or hasten complications and cause injury or death.

It is important to work with an Indianapolis birth injury attorney who will have the resources and contacts required to pursue a successful claim against those responsible. Having a birth injury law team in your corner can also help you to retain some of the best medical experts in the field to support your case, as well as a panel of physicians and health care providers who can provide professional interpretations of the medical issues at hand. Jacobs Law LLC, may also be able to assist you by providing the court with a prognosis on the future needs of your child and family in terms of what is needed in regards to education, medical care, rehabilitation, housing and personal care.

About Shoulder Dystocia

Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby’s shoulder cannot move past the mother’s pubic bone during labor. When shoulder dystocia occurs, the doctor must act quickly but with reasonable care. In the worst cases, shoulder dystocia can lead to the death of the baby. More commonly, shoulder dystocia can lead to brachial plexus injuries. When the nerves of the brachial plexus are stretched or torn during delivery, the child’s arm, hand and shoulder can be severely injured. This condition, known as Erb’s palsy, may be preventable. In some cases, a child must contend with lifelong disabilities as a result of this type of medical malpractice. If your child has suffered any type of birth injury that requires extensive care, it is important to speak with our birth injury attorneys about your child’s legal rights.

Jacobs Law LLC, has the skill and experience to handle a broad spectrum of medical malpractice claims. Shoulder dystocia is a fairly common birth complication, occurring in about 1 in 200 births. Obstetricians must know the factors that make shoulder dystocia more likely. These factors include high birth weight, a pregnancy that goes past full term, gestational diabetes and other factors. If shoulder dystocia is present, there are a number of maneuvers the obstetrician can perform to free the child. In many cases, these maneuvers can lead to the safe delivery of the child. Of course, the doctor must be able to (1) recognize shoulder dystocia and (2) take appropriate action when it happens. The Indianapolis birth injury lawyers at Jacobs Law LLC, will take a close look at what took place in the delivery room. If the doctor did not act with the appropriate level of care, our birth injury lawyers can take action for you.

Fetal Monitoring Strips

Electronic fetal monitoring allows obstetricians and other medical professionals to view the baby’s heart rate. The fetal monitor is strapped to the mother’s abdomen during labor. It is a vital tool during the labor and delivery process. With the information provided on the fetal monitoring strip, the obstetrician should determine whether the baby is in distress and take appropriate action.

Children in distress during labor may need to be delivered via cesarean section or C-section. When those in the delivery room fail to utilize the information provided by the monitor, a baby may go too long without receiving proper amounts of oxygen. This condition, known as fetal hypoxia, can lead to profound brain damage, cerebral palsy or a host of other tragic conditions.

Investigating Birth Injuries To Find The Causes Of Negligence

Fetal monitoring strips provide a wealth of information to medical professionals. When children suffer brain damage at birth, it may be the result of the hospital staff’s failure to act decisively. When medical providers needlessly delay delivering your child via C-section, severe harm can be the result. Our Indianapolis birth injury lawyers will look closely at the evidence, including the fetal monitoring strip, to see whether or not the doctor or nurse acted negligently. If there is evidence of malpractice, we will fight for you and your child.

If your child has suffered severe brain injuries at birth, he or she will need extensive resources to provide for his or her care. Our malpractice attorneys will work with professionals in order to prove exactly what your child will need in the future. Whether your child’s claim is resolved in settlement or at trial, you can take comfort in knowing that our law firm understands what is at stake.

We will devote all of our efforts to help your child obtain what he or she needs.