Under Georgia birth injury law, medical professionals are responsible for anticipating potential problems during the birthing process and intervening in a timely manner to prevent harm. When a member of the medical team fails to meet this standard of care and a child is injured as a result, the family may be eligible for a birth injury lawsuit. If your child was born with erb’s palsy, cerebral palsy or another birth injury, your physician, nurse, midwife or hospital may be to blame. To find out if you have a birth injury case, fill out our free case review form. Our Atlanta birth injury lawyers will examine your claim, at no cost to you.

Causes of Birth Injuries in Georgia

Birth injuries can occur during labor and delivery or shortly after the birth. While many birth injuries cannot be avoided, others result from medical errors. The most serious form of birth injuries are caused by a restriction of air supply. The fetus receives blood and oxygen from the mother through the umbilical cord, which can become twisted or pressured during the delivery process. If this problem is not handled immediately, the child can begin to lose brain cells from the lack of oxygen. Unfortunately, oxygen deprivation is a main cause of brain damage and cerebral palsy, a birth injury that can cause severe mental disability.

Birth injuries can also occur when the doctor applies too much pressure while removing the child from the womb, particularly if the infant is caught behind the mother’s pelvis. This can lead to broken bones and Erb’s palsy, a birth injury which causes severe nerve damage in the child’s arm. Other common causes of Georgia birth injuries include:

Medical professionals understand the potential for problems during labor and delivery, and are therefore equipped with the knowledge and resources to monitor for distress and take quick action if needed. However, if a medical professional fails to identify fetal distress or intervene quickly, they may be guilty of medical malpractice.

It is important to remember that a child with a birth injury, such as brachial plexus palsy, often needs lifelong and costly medical treatment including frequent doctor visits, rehabilitation, surgery and assistive devices. In fact, a family, on average, spends $921,000 for the lifelong care of a child with cerebral palsy. Because of the costs related to raising a child with a birth injury, Georgia law allows for parents to seek financial compensation for these unexpected expenses if the birth injury was caused by medical negligence. To find out if you can recover compensation for medical expenses and other damages, fill out our free case review form to have your claim evaluated by an Atlanta birth injury lawyer.

Atlanta Birth Injury Lawyers

Like many other states, Georgia has recently reformed laws pertaining to medical malpractice cases, including birth injury lawsuits. The new Georgia medical malpractice law makes it more difficult to prove medical malpractice and limits the amount of non-economic damages a family can recover. Because of this new rule, it is important to contact a Georgia birth injury lawyer who has extensive experience and success in the field. Our Atlanta birth injury lawyers have a lengthy list of successful results, including several substantial verdicts and settlements for Georgia injury victims. We can help build a strong case under these new laws, while striving for maximum compensation for you and your family.

If you would like to speak with one of our Atlanta birth injury attorneys today, fill out our free case review form.