The birth of a child is supposed to be a momentous and joyous event for your family. But when a medical provider who was supposed to look after your child before, during, and after delivery failed to do their job, your child may have suffered serious injuries. To make matters worse, many birth injuries result in lifelong complications and disabilities.
If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, birth asphyxia, nerve damage, meconium aspiration, or any other type of birth injury, our birth injury lawyers are here to help. We believe that families should never pay out of pocket for these devastating injuries that were caused entirely by negligent healthcare providers.
3 Common Types of Birth Injuries
There are many ways that babies can be harmed just before, during, and after delivery. But three of the most common that occur due to provider negligence include:
Cerebral Palsy
This disability is caused by abnormal development of the brain due to injury or oxygen deprivation. Babies with cerebral palsy have symptoms that include:
- Stiff or floppy limbs
- Delays in lifting their heads, rolling over, sitting up, and crawling
- Tremors and involuntary movements
- Impaired fine motor skills and difficulty grasping objects
- Drooling and difficulty eating
Erb’s Palsy
This disability is caused by nerve damage in the arm or shoulder. It typically occurs during an improper or unsafe delivery. Babies with Erb’s palsy may have weakness or paralysis of their arms and the following symptoms:
- Reduced grip strength
- Lack of startle reflex (Moro reflex)
- Unusual positioning of arm
- Impaired movement of arm
Birth Asphyxia
This term describes a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain during delivery. It can occur when labor is unnecessarily prolonged, and an emergency C-section isn’t performed as soon as possible. Babies with birth asphyxia can suffer severe brain damage and even die.
Damages in a Birth Injury Case
In birth injury cases, determining damages starts with a thorough assessment from our Louisiana birth injury team. Our experienced attorneys are here to guide you through this complicated process, considering the following factors to ensure you receive fair compensation for your losses:
Medical Expenses
Birth injuries often result in substantial medical costs, including hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitative therapy, and ongoing medical treatment throughout the life of the victim. We work diligently to assess these expenses, ensuring that all current and future medical needs are considered when seeking compensation.
Long-Term Care Costs
Children who sustain birth injuries may require care for the rest of their lives, specialized education, and ongoing support services. Our attorneys collaborate with medical experts to evaluate the anticipated long-term care costs, so that your family receives compensation to cover these essential aspects of your child’s future.
Loss of Earnings and Future Income
If a birth injury affects a child’s ability to earn in their future, or if parents must take time off work to care for their child, we consider these financial challenges when seeking compensation. Our team works to calculate the potential loss of earnings and future income, providing appropriate compensation to secure your family’s financial future.
Emotional Distress
The emotional toll of a birth injury can be overwhelming for families. Compensation for emotional distress aims to address the psychological impact of the birth injury, including pain, suffering, and the mental anguish experienced by both the parents and the child. Our team’s understanding of these profound, “general” damages helps us quantify and seek additional compensation for families.
Our commitment is to ensure that you receive maximum compensation for ALL damages suffered as a result of your child’s birth injury. We handle each case with extensive understanding of the legal complexities and show every family we help the empathy they deserve. We know how to approach every aspect of a birth injury case and secure the best possible outcome for your family.
Offices Throughout Louisiana
With a strong presence across Louisiana, Dudley DeBosier is proud to serve communities statewide, including our dedicated offices in the heart of New Orleans and the capital city of Baton Rouge.
New Orleans Office
Our birth injury team at our New Orleans office is there to provide the legal support and compassion every family going through such devastation deserves. Operating in the heart of this historically vibrant city, we understand the challenges faced by New Orleans families dealing with birth injuries. Our team is committed to providing the personalized assistance that caters to the specific needs of the New Orleans community, from initial consultation to the complex negotiations involved in Louisiana birth injury cases.
Baton Rouge Office
Our Baton Rouge birth injury lawyers serve as an ever-present resource for birth injury victims’ families. Our team is passionate about making a positive impact, and we know what makes our Baton Rouge community unique. We are proudly committed to providing empathetic legal guidance to help Baton Rouge families through the unthinkable challenges of birth injury cases.
We’ll Fight to Ensure Your Family’s Rights Are Protected
Birth injuries are unacceptable and tragic. But too often, affected families hit roadblocks when trying to get compensation for their injured children. It can be even more difficult to win a birth injury claim when symptoms take years to show up.
At Dudley DeBosier, we understand the unique challenges of birth injury claims. We work hard to collect all relevant evidence that pinpoints exactly when and where your child’s injury occurred. Then we’ll determine exactly how much money your family is owed and push hard to get you fair compensation for your damages.
There’s no risk in calling our firm about your birth injury claim—your consultation is free , and you pay us nothing unless we win you money. Contact us today to learn how we can help.
