Birth Injury Lawyer NYC: Our Firm Has Unique Experience With Birth Injuries
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In an ideal world, the birth of a baby is a joyous occasion. However, a dream come true can become a nightmare if there are problems during the delivery that are due to an obstetrician/gynecologist error that resulted in a birth injury, permanent disability and occasionally even a wrongful death.
At Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP, our attorneys hold the medical practitioners accountable when they cause a birth injury to the mother or child. We understand the life-long implications of errors during and after childbirth – and our birth injury attorneys are on your side to make sure you get the life-long support you may need.
Our Birth Injury Lawsuit Experience
At Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP, birth injury lawsuits aren’t just another area of medical malpractice that we deal with. Instead, it’s a part of the law we’re deeply passionate about.
Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP, birth injury attorney Adam D. Cahn ran the medical malpractice division at his former New York City law firm and was in charge of handling all of the OB/GYN-related injuries. He has attended several live births and has a thorough understanding of the issues related to OB/GYN malpractice.
We obtained $585,000 for an infant who suffered a brachial plexus injury because of shoulder dystocia. We argued that the medical professional involved should have looked at the risk factors and opted for a cesarean section.
Of course, this is just one example of the thousands of cases our New York birth injury law firm has handled. Crucially, we have almost endless experience standing up to the giant insurance companies that step-in when medical professionals make mistakes. What’s more, we’re never afraid to take a case to trial if we feel that’s the best way to get the justice you deserve.
Common Birth Injuries
The decisions and actions of a physician, midwife or OB/GYN during delivery can adversely affect the baby and cause lifelong conditions. There are some childbirth conditions which require special attention such as a breech delivery, delivery of a big baby due to gestational diabetes or a baby with a face presentation.
Some of the common birth complications and injuries include:
Brachial Plexus Palsy
A weakness or paralysis in parts of the arm, Brachial plexus palsy is a common life-long injury that can occur when the sensitive nerves in a baby’s shoulder are damaged.
Caput Succedaneum
Caput succedaneum is swelling that occurs in the the scalp of a newborn. It can cause complications for babies – and sometimes needs a specialist intervention to ensure it doesn’t cause brain injuries.
Cephalohematoma
A cephalohematoma is when blood collects between a baby’s scalp and skull – as a result of ruptured blood vessels. Without the proper assessment and possible treatment, there’s a chance it can lead to infections that can be life-threatening.
Cerebral Palsy
Often caused by a lack of blood to the brain during childbirth, Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that can have a life-long impact on a person’s ability to move, balance, and maintain a healthy posture.
Facial Paralysis
Sometimes caused by pressure between a baby’s head and the uterus, without identification facial paralysis can result in life-long disfigurement and difficulties.
Fetal Laceration During A Cesarean Section
Often performed as an emergency procedure, a c-section that is not carefully carried out can lead to damage to the newborn which may require emergency surgery and could lead to life-long complications.
Forceps Extraction, Lacerations And Bruising
Although rare, incorrect use of foreceps could lead to head or eye trauma, or even bleeding within the skull. If not correctly treated, these may lead to further complications throughout life. Failed forceps extractions can also be life-threatening for a baby.
Fractures
Fractures can occur for a host of reasons during childbirth. Although they are largely harmless, there is a possibility that they could cause lasting nerve damage if undetected or untreated.
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is the build up of brain/spinal fluid within the skull. Without swift and proper treatment, it can cause physical and mental disabilities – including epilepsy and vision problems.
Shoulder dystocia
Shoulder dystocia is when a baby’s shoulders get stuck inside the mother’s pelvis during labor. As well as being dangerous for the baby (a cause of brachial plexus injuries and possible starvation of oxygen) it can also result in severe trauma for the mother (including bladder damage and postpartum hemorrhage).
Subconjunctival Hemorrhage
A Subconjunctival Hemorrhage is a bleed within a baby’s eye. Although often totally harmless, it can sometimes cause lasting damage to the eye and vision – and may point toward a more significant, undiagnosed issue.
Vacuum Extraction Injuries
Although vacuum extraction itself isn’t an injury, it’s a procedure that – if not carried out very carefully – can lead to other complications on this list, including: cerebral palsy, bleeding under the scalp or brain, and paralysis.
Although or put right what’s been done – but that doesn’t mean that medical malpractice claims shouldn’t be pursued.
Some children with birth injuries may need extensive care, therapy, medications, and on-going support with education and life in general. These are all things that come with large price tickets – and you shouldn’t be expected to shoulder that because of someone else’s mistakes.
Some of the costs we can advocate for include:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses
- Emotional trauma
- Future medical bills
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Adaptations of your home
- Reduced earning capacity for parents or carers
Of course, these are just some of the costs that may be involved. Every case is a little different – so we’d urge you to speak to a trustworthy birth injury lawyers firm to find out what you may be eligible for.
Is It Right To Sue A Medical Professional?
After rallying to support hardworking medical professionals through recent health crises, we find that people often find themselves conflicted about exploring any kind of medical negligence lawsuit.
This is completely understandable – but it’s useful to understand exactly who is involved with a birth injury claim and some of the wider positive outcomes that can come from bringing a
Medical Staff And Insurance Companies
Firstly, the New York birth injury lawyer you work with will never being going toe-to-toe with the professional directly. All medical staff are required to have insurance – so it’s the insurance company that we’ll be facing down on your behalf.
Insurance companies are businesses – and to operate as a business, you have to make money. For an insurance coverage provider, this means the best-case-scenario is having your case thrown out or agreeing upon a small settlement. By pursuing your child’s birth injury lawsuit, you won’t be taking hard-earned money from a doctor’s pocket – you’ll be recovering the compensation that you need from an insurance company.
Changing Future Outcomes
Another important thing to remember when you consider a lawsuit for your child’s injuries is how important your case could be in changing other parents’ experiences in the future.
We know the extent of the heartache that a serious birth injury can cause – and we know that it’s a feeling and set of circumstances that no one would wish on anyone else.
By pursuing a lawsuit, you can make a real difference in changing the kind of medical malpractice that has led to your current situation. Hospitals and medical facilities do not want any kind of injuries to be inflicted on their patients, nor do they want damage to their reputation. As such, you can expect that they will carry out their own investigations to identify training needs and safety measures.
Mistakes can happen – especially when people work as hard and long as doctors and nurses do. That said, medical facilities can take steps to make sure the workplace is as safe as it can possibly be – but they sometimes need to be made to understand the full impact of their working culture before these changes happen.
How To Choose A New York Birth Injury Attorney
Do a quick search online and you’ll find no end of New York birth injury attorneys who’ll say they can support you. Some of them will do an exceptional job – but it’s important to dig a little deeper and look beyond big claims and impressive accolades.
Crucially, you need to think about how you’ll be treated as a client.
At Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP, we put your experience at the absolute heart of what we do. From your first free consultation through to the on-going updates, meetings, and any possible court dates, we make sure we communicate with you clearly and frequently.
We also understand that New York is a wonderful, culturally diverse city – and our practice reflects that.
Not only do we speak five languages – we understand that childbirth and gynaecological health issues can sometimes be a difficult area to discuss, so you can expect us to be exceptionally sensitive and more than happy to work in a way that respects your personal preferences, attitudes and beliefs.
What does a consultation involve?
A lot of people ask us what’s involved in a free initial consultation with New York birth injury lawyers. We think it’s important to set your mind at ease, especially during a life-changing time.
We do everything we can to make your free consultation as relaxed as possible. No legal jargon or stuffy meetings – just you and whomever you wish to bring talking person-to-person about what’s happened. We can even arrange to visit you at home or in hospital too – whatever is the most convenient and comfortable for you.
We listen – whether you want to talk for 5 minutes or an hour. We think it’s absolutely vital that your story is heard. Birth injury cases affect everyone differently – and we’re advocating you, not a ‘general case’.
We’ll talk to you about what a case might involve and the kind of costs that we’d hope to recover for you. Then, we’d chat with you about what the process looks like, what’s needed from you, and the kinds of timescales involved.
Naturally, a consultation is a two-way street – so even though we’ll be looking at the legal aspects of your case, we’d encourage you to consider whether or not we feel like a law firm you’d like working for you. It’s absolutely essential that you trust the birth injury attorney you’re talking to – and if you don’t (whether that’s with us or with another NYC birth injury lawyers firm you visit) – we’d encourage you to keep searching until you find the right one.
Talk With Us In A Free Consultation
The birth injury lawyers at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP, are skilled and aggressive trial lawyers with years of experience helping thousands of clients. To learn more about our law firm or to request a free initial consultation, call 212-571-7171, or email Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP, today.
