Having a baby can be a joyous time, one that is met with lots of celebration and congratulatory wishes. The usual concerns that come to mind during pregnancy are that of the nursery design, who will throw the baby shower, taking off time from work and so on. Looking into a prospective birth injury lawyer isn’t a usual custom of this process, yet malpractice birth injury is an unfortunate possibility. Making oneself aware of the likelihood and the facts surrounding this issue will better prepare families for defense if the unthinkable happens. The following sheds some light on why looking into an ideal birth injury lawyer is a wise step to take in the process of family planning.
The Likelihood of Birth Trauma
The frequent occurrence of birth injury may startle you at first, but it will explain why medical negligence lawsuits are a harsh reality of the labor and delivery process. As many as seven out of a 1,000 babies will suffer a birth injury like cerebral or Erb’s palsy. An average of 28,000 babies are born per year with an injury of this kind, which makes 2,333 per month, 538 a week, 76 per day and 3 per hour. As a result, there may more than one parent seeking a malpractice lawsuit against the hospital. The majority of people who seek medical negligence lawsuits (60%) are female, likely meaning that this is far more of a concern for the laboring mother.
Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries
This is an important issue to touch on and be aware of, as cerebral palsy is a common outcome of birth injury malpractice. As many as 20% of newborn babies are diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of brain injury during labor. Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood motor disability the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that an average of one in every 323 U.S. children have this disability. As such, it’s important to see that your rights and that of your child as hospital patients are protected by a skilled birth trauma lawyer.
Basic Facts of Malpractice Lawsuits
While birth injury takes up a good percentage of medical malpractice, this is a problem that can affect anyone seeking medical aid. As far as inpatient incidents are concerned, surgery errors accounted for as much as 34% of medical malpractice claims and is, in fact, the most common basis for a claim. This statistic also influences the possible need to find a good birth injury lawyer, as surgery sometimes becomes necessary during labor as well. The good news is that qualified malpractice lawyer has to the potential to award the plaintiff with a sizeable claim; the average compensation for inpatient malpractice is about $363,000, while the average for outpatient settings is $290,000.
While it may not be ideal to add looking for a birth injury lawyer to the fun of picking out names and crib sheets, making sure that your rights as a patient are protected is a vital precaution to take.
