Gettysburg Birth Injury

Birth Injury Lawyers in Gettysburg

Representation for families of babies harmed during pregnancy, labor, and delivery

It’s every parent’s nightmare. Being told that your baby will have to live with a medical disorder, a deformity, or any injury is the worst news you could hear. Birth doctors should understand any potential complications during pregnancy and delivery. There are many preventive steps obstetricians and other medical professionals should take to avoid known dangers, as well as emergency measures to ensure your baby is healthy and does not experience birth injuries.

At KBG Injury Law, our Gettysburg birth injury lawyers work with obstetricians and other healthcare professionals to evaluate what mistakes were made during the delivery of your child and how those should have been avoided. We also work with doctors who understand the unique type of birth injury your newborn suffered, so we can understand what treatments your baby will need and the type of life she or he can expect to lead. We evaluate the full range of medical, physical, and emotional challenges of living with a birth injury. We’ve obtained numerous six- and seven-figure settlements and verdicts for our personal injury and malpractice clients, and we want to help you too.

Practice Areas

Gettysburg Birth Injury 2

How can we help?

What is a birth injury?

A birth injury is any injury a baby suffers – during pregnancy, during the delivery, or after the birth of the child. While birth defects generally develop while the fetus is in the womb, birth injuries normally occur during the delivery. Common causes of birth injuries include oxygen deprivation, head trauma, a delayed birth, infections, improper medications, and bleeding in the brain.

Common brain injuries that can cause birth injuries include:

  • Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This birth injury is due to decreased levels of oxygen and blood in the brain. HIE can lead to - cerebral palsy and periventricular leukomalacia.
  • Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). This injury happens “when white matter in the brain dies, resulting in loss of brain tissue.” Bleeding problems usually cause PVL. Placental failure and infections may also cause PVL.
  • Intracranial hemorrhage. This disorder is due to bleeding in the brain. It’s most common in premature babies. Intracranial hemorrhage is usually due to fetal stroke or damaged blood vessels.
  • Cerebral dysgenesis. This injury refers to an abnormal development of the fetal brain. “Direct injury to the baby’s head during or shortly after delivery can also cause cerebral dysgenesis.”

What are the common types of birth injuries?

According to the CDC, the most common birth injury is cerebral palsy, with about one in every 345 children identified with the motor disability. They describe it as “a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.” The CDC also notes that between 75 and 85 percent of children have what’s called “spastic CP,” meaning their muscles are stiff and they may have difficulty walking and moving.

Other types of birth injuries, in addition to cerebral palsy, according to Stanford Children’s Health include:

  • Brachial palsy. This injury happens when the nerves that support the arms and hands are damaged. The most common type of brachial plexus injury is shoulder dystocia. A newborn may not be able to flex, move, and rotate his/her arm. In some cases, movement does return in several months. Some newborns suffer permanent nerve damage.
  • Bruising or forceps marks. “Forceps used with delivery can leave temporary marks or bruises on the baby's face and head. Babies delivered by vacuum extraction may have some scalp bruising or a scalp cut (laceration).”
  • Caput succedaneum. Vacuum extraction may cause a large swelling of the baby’s scalp soft tissues. For many babies, the swelling and bruising does diminish in a few days.
  • This condition is due to bleeding between the skull bone and the skull’s fibrous covering. It normally resolves in a few months.
  • Facial paralysis. Forceps and other causes may injure the facial nerve. If the nerve is torn, surgery may be necessary.
  • A fracture of the baby’s clavicle or collarbone may occur during labor and delivery. The clavicle may break when there is trouble delivering the baby's shoulder or during a breech birth.
  • Subconjunctival hemorrhage. This condition is the “breakage of small blood vessels in the eyes of a baby.” It normally resolves in a week to 10 days.

There are other types of injuries that may affect both the child and the mother during the delivery.

What birth and delivery mistakes qualify as Gettysburg medical malpractice?

At KBG Injury Law, our Gettysburg lawyers work with numerous birth injury doctors to confirm what mistakes occurred during your labor and delivery and why they wouldn’t have occurred with a competent physician. Some of the mistakes that may cause birth injuries include:

  • Not responding quickly to emergencies.
  • Not anticipating known risks and dangers.
  • Failure to make a proper diagnosis of a dangerous medical condition.
  • Failure to monitor the baby and mother during the delivery and after childbirth.
  • Not treating infections promptly.
  • Improper use of vacuum extractors and forceps.
  • Not performing a Cesarean when necessary.
  • Using unnecessary force.
  • Not handling umbilical cord complications, uterine, or placental complications properly.
  • Allowing the delivery to take too long.
  • Medication mistakes.
  • A failure to notice a prolapsed umbilical cord, which can cut off oxygen to the fetus.

Who is liable for my child’s birth injuries?

Everyone involved in the birth of your child may be liable. Our Gettysburg birth injury lawyers file claims against all responsible parties including:

  • OB/GYN doctors
  • Hospitals
  • Anesthesiologists
  • Birth delivery physicians and nurses
  • Midwives
  • Medical technicians
  • Other healthcare providers

How much compensation will my child receive in her Gettysburg malpractice case?

Filing a medical malpractice claim requires persistence. Doctors don’t readily admit they made mistakes. We work aggressively to show why your child’s birth injuries happened and who is responsible. Once liability is established, you’re entitled to all the damages Pennsylvania law permits. In birth injury cases, decisions need to be made about the medical care and quality of life for your child – for the rest of his or her life.

We demand compensation for all your child’s:

  • Medical bills
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of cognitive abilities
  • Loss of bodily function

We fight to ensure you obtain every dollar your child deserves. Generally, the funds are placed in a trust or annuity so that they are available for your child’s lifetime.

Do you have a birth injury lawyer near me?

You can find KBG Injury Law at 37 West Middle Street in Gettysburg, PA. We’re close to Route 30 and steps from the Adams County Court House. We have five offices in South Central Pennsylvania to serve you.

Speak with a seasoned Gettysburg birth injury lawyer today

When your child is injured, don’t delay. It is important to seek legal help as quickly as possible to show why medical malpractice occurred and to ensure your child sees the best Gettysburg birth injury doctors possible. At KBG Injury Law, we’ll fight every step of the way to ensure irresponsible health providers are held responsible. To assert your child’s medical malpractice claim, call our Gettysburg birth injury lawyers now. You can call us at 717-848-3838 or complete our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve families throughout Gettysburg, York, Lancaster, Hanover, and Harrisburg.