Birth Injuries Attorney: Seeking Justice and a Brighter Future for Your Child

Pensacola Birth Injury Cases We Handle

Our medical malpractice team represents families in a wide range of birth injury cases, including those involving severe and permanent disabilities. 

Erb's Palsy

Erb’s palsy is usually caused by excessive pulling or stretching of the baby's head and neck during a difficult delivery. Overstretching can injure the brachial plexus, a network of nerves in the shoulder and neck. This condition is characterized by weakness or paralysis in one arm.

Brachial Plexus Injuries

Other conditions associated with injuries to the brachial plexus include Horner’s syndrome and total plexus palsy. These injuries can cause varying degrees of weakness, paralysis, and loss of sensation. The effects of Horner’s syndrome can extend to the eyes and face.

Cerebral Palsy

One of the most common causes of cerebral palsy is hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) during labor and delivery. This neurological disorder affects muscle movement, coordination, and posture. Although many children with cerebral palsy lead full and fulfilling lives, they may require long-term support, including assistive devices. 

Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

HIE is a type of brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the baby's brain during labor or delivery. It can lead to severe neurological impairments, including developmental delays, cognitive problems, and cerebral palsy.

Other Birth Injuries

Our team handles a wide range of other birth-related injuries caused by medical negligence, including broken bones, cephalohematoma (bleeding under the scalp), facial paralysis, and skull fractures.

The Devastating Effects of Common Birth Injuries

Although some birth injuries heal, others have lifelong consequences for children and their families. These injuries can lead to:

• Physical disabilities: Limitations in movement, coordination, and mobility.
• Cognitive impairments: Learning disabilities, developmental delays, and intellectual disabilities.
• Speech and language difficulties: Problems with communication and language development.
• Sensory impairments: Vision or hearing problems.
• Seizures: Recurring seizures caused by brain damage.
• Emotional and behavioral issues: Social and emotional challenges independent of or co-occurring with other birth injury disorders.

When you have the financial resources to pay for medical care and therapy, you can help your child thrive as much as possible. We can help you seek this financial support through a medical malpractice claim.

Holding Medical Professionals Accountable

Birth injuries are often preventable. Sometimes, they happen because healthcare professionals fail to meet the accepted standard of care during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. These are some common preventable causes of birth injuries.

Failure to Properly Monitor Fetal Heart Rate

Continuous electronic fetal monitoring allows medical providers to detect signs of fetal distress, such as a drop in the baby's heart rate. Failure to monitor or properly interpret fetal heart rate patterns can delay necessary interventions and lead to oxygen deprivation and brain damage.

Improper Use of Forceps or Vacuum Extractors

Forceps and vacuum extractors are tools that assist with delivery, but they must be used with caution and proper technique. Improper or excessive force can cause injuries to the baby's head, neck, or shoulders, leading to conditions like Erb's palsy or facial paralysis.

Delayed Cesarean Sections

When a C-section is medically necessary but delayed, both the mother and baby can suffer serious complications. The baby may be deprived of oxygen and develop cerebral palsy or other lifelong disabilities.

Failure to Diagnose Maternal Infections 

Certain maternal infections, such as Group B streptococcus (GBS) or herpes simplex virus (HSV), can be passed to the baby during labor or delivery. These infections can lead to serious health problems. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of maternal infections are essential to prevent harm to the baby.

Medication Errors

Mistakes in administering medications to the mother during labor, such as anesthesia or pain medications, can have adverse effects on the baby. These errors may be more common in hospitals that are understaffed or that have poor training policies.

Financial Support for Your Child’s Future

Our Pensacola birth injury lawyers understand the immense challenges families face when a child suffers a birth injury. We want to help you secure the financial resources and support that your child needs for a brighter future. 

By filing a medical malpractice insurance claim or lawsuit, we can seek compensation for your family’s medical expenses and other losses.

Medical Expenses

We will pursue compensation for all of your child's past and expected future medical bills, including hospitalizations, surgeries, office visits, medications, and adaptive devices like wheelchairs. We will also seek support for physical, occupational, and speech therapies.

Lost Earning Capacity

If your child's birth injuries will affect their future ability to work and earn a living, you want to rest assured that your child’s needs will be met. We will seek compensation for this lost earning potential, including compensation that could support your child even as they become an adult.

Pain and Suffering

We understand the emotional and physical toll birth injuries take on children and their families. We will fight for compensation for your child's physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life. We will also seek compensation for the emotional distress and hardship experienced by parents and siblings.