Birth Injury Malpractice

Birth injuries can be the result of medical malpractice, food poisoning, or environmental toxins. If your child was born with a birth defect, you need a Minnesota birth injury lawyer to represent you and your child. Attorney Fred Pritzker has over 30 years of experience and has recovered millions for injury victims and their families, including a recent settlement for $3,500,000 for parent who lost their twins to a neonatal infection.

Attorney Fred Pritzker has gained a national reputation for excellence and has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC, NBC and others. In recognition of his accomplishments he has been named a "Minnesota Super Lawyer" by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. In addition other lawyers selected him for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.

Fred Pritzker has a national practice and represents injury victims throughout the United States. For a free consultation with Minnesota birth injury lawyer Fred Pritzker, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online consultation form.

Birth injury examples:

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage, which looks like a bright red band around the iris of one or both of the baby’s eyes. This can disappear completely in seven to ten days.
Caput Succedaneum refers to swelling of the baby’s scalp. This may happen if the birth involved vacuum extraction. The head usually returns to normal size in several days.
Cephalohematoma is bleeding between a bone and its fibrous covering. Most of the time, this is found on the baby’s head and the healing process takes anywhere from several weeks to several months.
Bruising can happen quite easily as the baby passes through the birth canal. Most bruises on infants are not long-term problems, although some bruises caused by forceps require surgical treatment.
Brachial Plexus Injuries happen when the network of nerves that connects the spine, shoulders and hands is damaged. If the symptoms include bruising or swelling, the situation may correct itself in several months. If there is major nerve damage, corrective surgery may be required and permanent damage often occurs.
Fractures are most often found in a baby’s collarbone after a difficult birth. Once immobilized, these fractures usually heal quickly.
Facial Paralysis is a possibility if nerves are damaged from the pressure of the birth canal. Sometimes the use of forceps can cause facial paralysis. Often, these injuries heal in 2-3 weeks. If the nerve damage is severe, surgery may be required and permanent damage may occur.
Brain Injuries occur when the baby does not get enough oxygen. Oxygen deprivation can happen if the baby loses a lot of blood, or the umbilical cord gets twisted or compressed. Prolonged oxygen deprivation can cause brain damage and a number of neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism.

Most birth injuries do not result from medical malpractice. The majority of delivery doctors and assisting hospital staff follow acceptable procedures, and a provider is not negligent simply because his or her efforts were unsuccessful. To receive compensation in a birth injury malpractice suit, you have to prove that your providers acted unreasonably and that their conduct was a direct cause of injury. Unless both issues are proved, there is no case.

Here are some medical errors that may support a malpractice action:

Failing to anticipate birth complications with a larger baby, or a high-risk condition in the mother.
Failing to rapidly diagnose and treat preterm labor.
Failing to respond appropriately to bleeding.
Failing to respond to umbilical cord entrapment.
Failing to treat a fetus that develops distress during delivery.
Delaying the order for Caesarian section (c-section).
Misuse of forceps or a vacuum extractor during delivery.
Inappropriate administration of drugs used to induce labor.

Birth injury malpractice claims are difficult, time consuming, and expensive. That's why selecting the right Minnesota birth injury attorney is so important.

At Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A. our Minnesota birth injury lawyers have the experience and resources to take on important and challenging birth injury malpractice cases and obtain significant compensation for our birth injury clients.

Because of the time, cost and complexity of birth injury cases, good law firms carefully review potential medical malpractice claims. Here's how the process works. In response to a birth injury malpractice inquiry, one of our staff will conduct a free telephone consultation. If we believe the case has merit, we will obtain the medical malpractice records and have them reviewed by a medical malpractice expert. If the medical malpractice expert feels there is a valid claim and we believe the case is worth pursuing, we will conduct a thorough analysis and investigation and proceed with the birth injury malpractice case.

You should also be aware of some special laws that apply to birth injury malpractice cases:

Statute of limitations: This is a law that requires commencement of a birth injury malpractice case within a specific time period. If the birth injury malpractice case is not filed within that time period, it will be barred regardless of its merit. Because the time period is often very short and exceptions apply, it is very important to consult with an experienced Minnesota birth injury malpractice attorney as soon as possible.
Expert affidavit: In some states, before commencement of a birth injury malpractice case the party bringing the claim must provide a written document signed by a medical malpractice expert confirming that medical malpractice was committed and that it was a direct cause of the claimant's injuries. The format and timing of the affidavit are critical.

At Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A. we specialize in personal injury, including malpractice cases. You can depend on our knowledge and skill when it comes to representing a client with a birth injury malpractice case.

If you would like a free consultation about your birth injury malpractice claim, call us toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or email us at info@pritzkerlaw.com. We’re ready when you are.

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