The Stamford birth injury attorneys at Slager Madry, LLC handle cases across Connecticut for mothers and children injured during childbirth. They have litigated these cases in courts throughout the state, including in Stamford, Waterbury, Hartford, Danbury, and New Haven.

Pregnancy and childbirth should be a reason for celebration, and it usually is. Unfortunately, there are instances where medical professionals make mistakes during childbirth and those mistakes can have catastrophic consequences. Negligent prenatal management or mismanagement or other mistakes during labor and delivery, including the failure of doctors to proceed with a cesarean section delivery when required, can cause trauma and permanent injury to both mother and baby.

There are carefully studied standards of care that hospitals in Connecticut and across the country use to ensure safe labor and delivery of a newborn. When an infant is delivered in a hospital, doctors and nurses carefully monitor his or her heartrate and oxygenation using fetal heart monitors, which provide real-time assessment of fetal wellbeing. If a fetus is struggling before delivery, it usually is evident on the fetal heart rate monitoring. Observing and interpreting these monitors are critical responsibilities of doctors and nurses who manage labor and delivery and are trained to detect dangerous signs that a fetus could be struggling. 

In situations where a fetus is in danger, the standard of care requires medical professionals to inform the parent(s) and recommend interventions that may include caesarian section delivery, rather than risk serious injuries to the newborn, including neurological injuries. Failure to perform required interventions and caesarian section delivery when required so can have grave consequences, causing a child to suffer developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and even death.

Other times, medical professionals can be overly aggressive at the time of the actual delivery, where alternative interventions are required for the safety of the child and mother. For example, it can be appropriate to assist in delivery using a vacuum extraction device to assist in delivery, when certain conditions are met. To use such a device safely, however, it is important for a physician to ensure that a baby’s head is far enough down the birth canal and in an appropriate position for use of a vacuum extractor to help guide them out. The vacuum extractor consists of a suction cup attached to a mechanical or electric pump. The cup is applied to a baby’s head and the pump provides traction to pull while the mother pushes to aid in delivery. At times, negligent performance of vacuum extraction can have grave consequences for a newborn, including skull fractures and other injuries to the head and brain.

Children injured during childbirth often require lifelong care to ensure they can live happy and safe lives. The lawyers at Slager Madry LLC have special interest and experience handling these cases and have successfully represented numerous children and parents who have been seriously and permanently injured because of negligence by medical professionals during childbirth. 

Slager Madry lawyers also have represented mothers who have been injured during childbirth due to negligent treatment. Many mothers receive an epidural to minimize pain and assist in labor. Improper placement of an epidural, while rare, can cause lasting neurological injuries, including paralysis for a mother. 

Not every injury during the prenatal period, or during labor and delivery is the result of negligent acts of another, but many are. Our attorneys can investigate and advise you whether the injuries you or your loved one suffered during pregnancy or childbirth should have been avoided and, if so, whether you can pursue legal claims.

You Or Your Child Could Recover Compensation After a Birth Injury in Connecticut

If you or your child has suffered serious injuries during childbirth in Stamford or another part of Connecticut, you could be entitled to a wide range of financial compensation. These awards are designed to cover your financial, emotional, and physical injuries. Some of the damages that may be available include the following:

Medical and Living Care Costs

If a child or mother is seriously injured during labor or delivery, they may require significant–even lifelong–care as a result. This care could include medical treatment costs, costs of physical, occupational, or speech therapy, costs of home nursing and health care, and in some cases even lifelong living facility costs for children who are seriously injured during childbirth. The costs can cause financial devastation to an entire family and our legal system is designed to shift that risk to negligent actors whose conduct led to the injuries.

Pain and Suffering

Catastrophic injuries related to pregnancy and childbirth usually bring immense physical and emotional pain. Although no two people experience pain the same, the courts can award damages based on the extent of you or your child’s suffering. Our firm is experienced in proving how your pain impacts your quality of life.

Disability

Some childbirth injuries can result in permanent scarring or the loss of certain body parts or functions. There is both a physical and an emotional toll that comes with this type of permanent loss. Much like your pain and suffering, you could be entitled to damages based on how your life has been impacted by your disfigurement or loss of limb. 

How Slager Madry Can Help

There are many reasons why relying on the skill and experience of a Slager Madry birth injury lawyer is important. The cases are complex, and doctors and hospitals have tremendous resources to fight back. Having an attorney on your side can help even the odds. Slager Madry LLC can provide you with the same high caliber lawyer that multi-million-dollar insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors can access

Our lawyers are experienced in handling complicated cases involving catastrophic injuries from childbirth. We will deal with every aspect of your case from start to finish, ensuring you have an advocate who always puts your interests first. Some of the ways we can help include:

Investigating Your Accident

Before you can negotiate a settlement or file a lawsuit, you will need a clear understanding of how the injury happened. A Slager Madry birth injury lawyer will carefully review the facts, starting with the medical records, all with two goals in mind: identifying the at-fault parties and determining the extent of your losses.

Gathering Records

Building a case for negligence following a childbirth injury requires stacks of medical records, and a Slager Madry birth injury lawyer can help you gather them.

Identifying Your Damages

Another important part of any childbirth injury case is determining the types of damage you or your child has suffered. It is impossible to guarantee a specific outcome or predict what a settlement offer might include, but our attorneys can help you understand the types of damages that might be available.

Negotiating with the Insurance Company

Settlements do happen in these cases, but that does not mean they are worth accepting. Our firm can negotiate with the insurance company and advise you on what is fair and reasonable. It will always be your decision whether to settle your case or not, but we will provide you with all the information you need to make the right choice.

Taking Your Case to Trial When Needed

Our goal is to secure a fair settlement without the need for you to ever set foot in a courtroom. While many cases play out this way, there is always the potential that yours could go to trial. We prepare every case we take for trial and will ensure you are prepared while continuously being open to the possibility of a settlement until the last available moment.

You Have Limited Time to Pursue Legal Action

You have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit after you or your child is injured, but this opportunity will not last forever. The statute of limitations, the legal deadline that applies to most lawsuits, governs your case. If you wait too long to file, you could miss out on your chance to recover damages.

In general, you have two years from the date you learned of the negligence to file your lawsuit, but not more than three years after the negligence happened. There are a few exceptions that can increase or decrease the amount of time you have to take action, so it is important you seek advice from a qualified attorney experienced in this area to avoid forfeiting your ability to seek compensation.

If you miss this deadline to file your lawsuit, the court can permanently bar you from recovering compensation in the future. You would be wise to have a Slager Madry birth injury lawyer make sure you comply with this time limit.

Reach Out to a Stamford Birth Injury Attorney Today

Birth injuries caused by medical malpractice have the potential to change the course of your life forever. While no amount of money can ever turn back the clock or undo you or your child’s severe injuries, it can provide you with the resources you need to regain your quality of life. A settlement could pay for your medical bills, compensate you for your pain, and replace your lost income. At Slager Madry LLC, we understand what is at stake after an injury during childbirth. Let a Slager Madry birth injury lawyer help you pursue justice. Contact us today for a free consultation.