Sadly, a child’s brain injury can be demoralizing for families. These injuries can cause undue stress, both emotionally and financially.
Children with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can suffer from long-term, irreversible complications that may require expensive therapy and rehabilitation. Sometimes these costs, in addition to long-term care, can reach millions of dollars.
In some instances, brain injuries are the result of medical malpractice. Issues like hypoxia occur when a region of the body is deprived of oxygen, which can cause brain damage. During the delivery process, this can occur when there are delays due to the inattention of a healthcare provider.
In addition to delays, brain injuries can occur when a doctor uses forceps at the wrong stage of labor, which can result in bruising, permanent indentations, severe cranial damage, excessive blood loss or cephalohematoma.
Another way a brain injury can occur is immediately following birth, through mishandling or a complication or defect involving a device used to treat the child. These brain injuries can cause cognitive delays, visual impairments and other issues that will require lifelong care.
Recently, Mlive.com reported that the family of a four-year-old girl with brain damage had settled a lawsuit with the health care provider whose errors during her delivery allegedly led to her injuries.
According to the website, four-year-old Eliza Gort and her parents, Tim and Regina Gort, said they reached a settlement with Spectrum Health over her injuries. Eliza was born on February 26, 2010—following her birth, she underwent an exchange transfusion to treat jaundice.
Air entered her bloodstream through an intravenous line, causing loss of blood and oxygen to her brain and resulting in a serious brain injury, according to Mlive.com.
Through the settlement, Spectrum Health admitted that negligence was involved and that it was responsible for the injuries. Settlement details were not disclosed to the media.
Can I File a Malpractice Lawsuit If My Child Suffers a Brain Injury?
As this case shows, you should file a lawsuit against your medical providers if your child suffers a brain injury during, or immediately after his or her delivery. Through a lawsuit, you can obtain damages that can help provide for the cost of future care, as well as pain and suffering for your child.
Contact the birth injury attorneys at our firm immediately if your son or daughter is suffering from a brain injury, so that we may advise you of your legal rights. Call us today, and let us investigate your case—your child should not have to suffer due to the negligence of a medical care provider.
[Did You Know: Newborn jaundice occurs when a baby has too much bilirubin in its blood.]
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – Birth Injury Attorneys
Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/08/spectrum_health_parents_reach.html
