San Antonio Birth Injury Lawyer
Experienced, competent, and compassionate legal help with preventable birth injuries in Texas
The birth of a new baby is supposed to be one of the happiest moments in a parent’s life. This happy moment can, unfortunately, turn into one of the worst days of a parent’s life if the baby is born with physical or cognitive birth injuries.
Birth injuries can lead to immense physical suffering for your baby, as well as constant medical care, which may be necessary for the rest of your child’s life. As a parent, you will have to bear the brunt of costly medical expenses to take care of your new baby—unless a good birth injury lawyer can help with an alternate solution.
If you believe your child was injured during pregnancy, labor, or childbirth due to a medical provider’s negligent or wrongful conduct, reach out to Pat Maloney today. You could have grounds for a medical malpractice case against the treating doctor, hospital, or another medical professional or facility. With 70 years of experience, our team is ready to advocate for you and your child. We fight to maximize your recovery so that your child can live the best possible life.
For a free consultation, call our offices or fill out our contact form today. Hablamos español.
How can a San Antonio birth injury attorney help?
A skilled San Antonio birth defect lawyer can work to prove that your child’s birth defects are not the result of nature but are due to someone else’s negligence. If you have a case, Pat Maloney can file a claim on your behalf and fight to secure damages to help you pay for your child’s costly medical care.
We are prepared to handle all the legal details so that you can focus on getting your child the medical care he or she needs. We are aggressive when it comes to negotiating with liable insurance providers, and we are fully prepared to take your case to trial if necessary. We have a 99% success rate and have secured numerous million- and multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients.
What is a birth injury?
Per the National Library of Medicine, birth injuries are:
…an impairment of the neonate's body function or structure due to an adverse event that occurred at birth. These injuries include a wide range of minor to major injuries due to various mechanical forces during labor and delivery. Birth injuries are different from birth defects or malformations and are often easily distinguishable from congenital defects by a focused clinical assessment.
A birth injury is any physical injury or trauma that occurs to a newborn during the birth process. Birth injuries can happen due to a variety of reasons, including problems during labor and delivery, the size or position of the baby, or medical negligence.
It's important to note that not all birth injuries are preventable, but many can be avoided with proper medical care and intervention. If you suspect that your child has suffered a birth injury, it's important to speak with a healthcare professional for follow-up care as soon as possible, and then with a qualified San Antonio medical malpractice attorney.
What are some examples of common birth injuries?
Some of the most common birth injuries include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Cephalohematoma
- Erb's palsy
- Fractures (especially fractured collarbones)
- Caput succedaneum
- Asphyxia
- Fetal death
- Maternal death
- Birth complications & labor injuries
- Oxygen deprivation (hypoxia and anoxia)
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Klumpke's palsy
- Internal bleeding
- Hemorrhaging
- Facial paralysis
- Forceps/vacuum extractor injuries
- Shoulder dystosia
Many birth injuries have lifelong consequences, leading to ongoing medical treatment and an overall reduced quality of life. Even when birth injuries are treatable and the child is able to heal, he or she may suffer significant physical and emotional harm. Additionally, the child’s parents will likely face extensive, costly medical bills to treat their child’s injuries.
You should not have to suffer the consequences of a medical provider’s careless or negligent conduct on your own. Pat Maloney can help you fight for fair compensation for your damages, such as medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.
Why do birth injuries happen?
Birth injuries can happen for a variety of reasons. Some common causes include:
- Difficult or prolonged labor: If a woman's labor is prolonged or difficult, there is an increased risk of birth injuries. This can happen due to several factors, including the size or position of the baby, problems with the birth canal, or issues with the mother's health.
- Abnormal fetal position: If the baby is in an abnormal position during birth, such as breech or face-first, it can increase the risk of birth injuries.
- Large birth weight: Babies who weigh more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces are at a higher risk of birth injuries.
- Use of forceps or vacuum: Sometimes, doctors may use forceps or a vacuum to help deliver the baby. If these tools are used incorrectly or inappropriately, they can cause birth injuries.
- Medical negligence: In some cases, birth injuries may occur as a result of medical negligence, such as a failure to properly monitor the mother or baby, failure to recognize and respond to fetal distress, or improper use of medications during labor.
It's important to note that not all birth injuries can be prevented, but many can be avoided with proper medical care and intervention. If you suspect that your child has suffered a birth injury, it's important to speak with a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
How do I know if my child suffered a birth injury?
As a new or expecting parent, it can be difficult to decipher whether your child was injured during labor or delivery. Sometimes, medical providers do everything they can to ensure the health and safety of the infant and the mother to no avail. In other cases, they fail to provide an adequate standard of care. But medical providers will almost always deny wrongdoing, or they may not even realize that they have been negligent. Regardless, intent is not relevant; if a doctor, nurse, hospital, or any other health care provider failed to uphold the standard of acceptable care, you could have a birth injury case.
Additionally, birth injuries do not only happen during labor and delivery. Improper medical care from doctors during pregnancy can have a terrible impact on the growth and development of your baby. This can include being prescribed medication that is known to cause birth defects and doctors misdiagnosing medical conditions. Also, being exposed to harmful materials at work during pregnancy can result in birth defects.
Our San Antonio birth injury lawyer can carefully evaluate your case to determine how your child was injured and, most importantly, who is liable.
Do you have a San Antonio birth injury attorney near me?
Pat Maloney: Accident & Injury Attorney is located at 239 E Commerce St. in the center of Downtown San Antonio, TX. We are the owner of one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in San Antonio. There’s plenty of parking nearby. If you cannot travel, we can arrange a phone or video conference, or an in-hospital visit.
Talk to our San Antonio birth injury lawyer today
If you suspect that your child’s birth injuries are the result of medical negligence or malpractice, you do have legal recourse. Contact our San Antonio birth injury attorney at Pat Maloney: Accident & Injury Attorney in San Antonio, Texas. We work to hold doctors and other liable parties accountable. Our attorney can provide the legal assistance you need to argue that a medical provider or another party is responsible for your child’s birth injuries and should be held accountable. Call our office today or fill out our contact form to schedule your free consultation.