Your Phoenix, AZ, Birth Injury Lawyer
If your child was harmed during the course of labor, delivery, pre-care, or aftercare and you believe it could have been prevented, the medical malpractice laws in the state of Arizona may protect you and your family.
Birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, developmental delays, brain damage, and others can lead to a lifetime of care and expenses. When these injuries are caused by a medical mistake that could have been prevented, you and your little one have rights and may be entitled to compensation. In these situations, having an experienced Phoenix, AZ, birth injury lawyer on your side may give you the best chance at receiving justice and the money you need to move forward after this trauma.
Dedicated Legal Help for Parents
Together with our network of attorneys, Goldwater Law Firm is dedicated to protecting the rights of you and your child.
No Cost Upfront
You never have to worry about whether or not you can afford a quality attorney. Your initial consultation is 100% free and you won’t owe anything unless your case is won.
We Know How Devastating this Is
There are few things as devastating as your child suffering an injury that will forever impact their life. One careless medical mistake from a doctor or nurse can turn what’s supposed to be one of the most joyous experiences of your life into one of the most traumatic.
In addition to the emotional anguish you’ve been put through, you now have to worry about paying for a lifetime of medical bills and care for your child. At Goldwater Law Firm, we know the financial struggles of caring for a child with special needs. As the gold standard of injury law, it’s our goal to fight for the maximum amount of compensation you need to care for your child now and in the future. Contact us today for the dedicated legal help you need.
What Is a Birth Injury?
Strictly speaking, a birth injury is any kind of damage that a newborn suffers before, during, or immediately after birth. While some birth injuries are unavoidable and the parents also play a role in the child’s development during pregnancy, many birth injuries could have been prevented had the proper precautions been taken by the medical professionals involved.
There are certain standards that all medical professionals are expected to live up to, and when they fall short, their patients pay the price. This can be especially devastating when the patient in question is a newborn infant.
What Causes Birth Injuries?
While there are countless potential causes for birth injuries, listed below are some of the most common:
Forceps are often used to help with the delivery of a baby that is in an odd or improper position. Caution has to be taken, however, as forceps can also harm the baby.
Similar to forceps, vacuum devices help guide the baby through the birth canal. If the vacuum isn’t placed properly, however, the baby can suffer.
Hypoxia occurs when a baby’s brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen. This can happen from a variety of causes such as a tangled umbilical cord around the neck or any kind of infection. It’s a common medical practice to conduct tests to detect hypoxia early on but, sadly, some medical professionals may miss the signs and fail to properly diagnose this severe risk to newborns.
There are several conditions that can warrant an emergency cesarean section delivery. It’s up to the medical team to detect these conditions and take the necessary measures to protect both the mother and child.
Let Us Fight for the Justice Your Child Deserves.
If your newborn suffered a birth injury due to the careless actions of a medical professional, Goldwater Law Firm stands ready to fight for the justice you and your little one deserve.
Possible Effects of Birth Injuries
The long-term effects of birth injuries can vary quite a bit, depending on the nature of the injury. You may see something as simple as a small scratch on the skin that will heal in a matter of hours, while other injuries can lead to lifelong debilitation.
A few examples of conditions caused by birth injuries include the following:
- Brachial plexus palsy
- Cerebral palsy
- Klumpke’s palsy
- Facial paralysis
- Torticollis
- Clavicle fracture
Do I Have a Birth Injury Case?
Every birth injury lawsuit alleges that the injury was caused due to recklessness on behalf of the medical practitioners involved.
Cases are typically filed against hospitals, health care facilities or the individual doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners involved in the injury. Medical professionals have a legal responsibility toward the well-being of their patients, and if they fail to uphold that responsibility, they may be held accountable for the damage they’ve caused. However, proving that a medical professional’s carelessness was the direct result of your child’s injury can be more difficult than it seems.
If you’re wondering whether or not you have a case, contact Goldwater Law Firm today to discuss your legal options and how we can help. Having our network of experienced Phoenix, AZ, birth injury lawyers on your side can make navigating the difficult legal process and fighting against big insurance companies much easier for you and your family.
What Can Compensation Cover for a Birth Injury?
While taking legal action cannot reverse the damage that’s been done to your child, it can hold the careless medical professionals responsible for their actions and possibly prevent them from harming another child.
Filing a birth injury lawsuit can also help ease the financial burdens the medical mistake has placed on you and your family. There are several types of compensation you may be eligible for, including:
- All medical expenses
- Ongoing health care costs
- Any necessary medical equipment
- Physical therapy and psychological counseling
- Parent’s lost wages
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral or burial costs in the case of wrongful death
Birth Injury FAQs
If your newborn has suffered a birth injury as a result of recklessness from a medical professional, you may qualify for a birth injury lawsuit.
While we can tell you the general types of damages you can recover, what a case is worth can vary widely. Your Phoenix, AZ, birth injury lawyer needs to sit down with you to review the specifics of what happened so we can determine the degree of injury your child has suffered, whether it is long-term or life-threatening, and a range of other factors. Only then will we know how much we can demand from the health care professional who hurt you and your child. That’s why it’s so important not to wait and to get in touch with the Goldwater Law Firm for a free case review today.
The best way to know whether you have a birth injury case is to bring your suspicions to the attention of a qualified birth injury lawyer. Gather all the evidence you have that your baby should have been healthy, the medical treatment needed, and any records of the harm suffered, and contact Goldwater Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’re here to help you navigate this difficult time.
All you need to do to get started is contact Goldwater Law Firm. If we believe we may help, we’ll connect you with an experienced Phoenix, AZ, birth injury lawyer who can handle your case while you focus on your newborn.
A birth defect is a condition or illness that develops in the womb, while a birth injury happens while a mother is in labor or during delivery. Unlike birth defects, birth injuries can sometimes be avoided had something gone a different way during the birthing process. If your baby has suffered a birth injury due to a medical mistake, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Goldwater Law Firm to learn more about your legal options today.
By law, your doctor is required to inform you before delivery if your baby is expected to exhibit an abnormality or disability. If your doctor gave you every reason to expect your baby would be normal and healthy but they were born with a disability, you could be dealing with a situation of malpractice. In these cases, it’s always best to speak with a qualified birth injury attorney who can review the facts of your case and help you determine the best way to proceed. If you have any reason to suspect your baby’s disability is the result of a birth injury, contact Goldwater Law Firm today for help.
Hospitals and general health care providers put a lot of resources into defending themselves from medical malpractice lawsuits. As such, it’s in your best interest to have a legal professional by your side to even the playing field and give yourself the best chance of recovering everything you and your child deserve.
You won’t have to pay a penny upfront when you contact Goldwater Law Firm. As the gold standard of injury law, we strongly believe that every parent should have access to the highest quality legal representation when their child has suffered harm due to a careless medical mistake. For this reason, we work on a contingency-fee basis and won’t charge you a dime unless you get money for your case.
Every case is different and unique. That means there’s no easy answer regarding how long your case might take to resolve. We need to get together and review your case so we can determine how strong it is. This can go a long way toward resolving it quickly. It’s important to have as much patience as you can, and be aware that our law firm is here to fight to get justice for you. We will work to hold the defendants responsible for what happened to you, no matter how long it takes.
The only real answer to this question is, “Maybe.” The truth is, most cases don’t end up in court for several reasons. First, court trials are long, expensive, and tend to be all or nothing. Second, healthcare companies don’t like to end up in court because it brings them very bad publicity, and they don’t like to publicly admit that they did something wrong. For this reason, most cases get settled through negotiation and never go to court. If our negotiations stall, though, we may have to appear at a trial, and if we do, we’ll fight for maximum compensation for you.
Negligence is the core of every personal injury case, including birth injuries. In order to show negligence on the part of your health care provider, we’ll need to demonstrate three factors. First, we have to show that the provider acted in a way that’s so irresponsible that no reasonable person would act that way. Second, we need to demonstrate that the provider’s irresponsibility led to the injury. And third, we have to establish that your child’s injury would not have happened if the medical professional wasn’t so irresponsible.
Never sign anything an insurance adjuster gives you without first letting your birth injury lawyer look at it. Insurance adjusters may pretend to be on your side at first, but make no mistake: They have one goal, and that’s to avoid paying you a lot of money. If they can, they’ll get you to sign away your rights to compensation and even your rights to talk about what happened to you. That’s why it’s so important to have the Goldwater Law Firm look over any paperwork they give you. You don’t even have to talk to them; just send them our way.