Mississippi Birth Injury Attorneys Talk About Forceps Injury Lawsuits, Settlements and Claims.
Some birth injuries happen when doctors try to hurry the birth process. One child and his family are looking at a future that involves coping with a range of intellectual and physical disabilities due to an injury that occurred when a doctor used forceps on the child too early in the delivery process. The child’s mother reported that she was laboring normally, but the doctor began using forceps after she had pushed just once. He applied the forceps, pulled, removed and then reapplied the forceps and pulled three times. The forceps left marks across the child’s face, and the force with which the doctor pulled on the baby caused him to develop intercranial pressure and bleeding shortly after he was born.
The boy and his family have gone through many challenging and painful experiences together since his traumatic birth. The boy is now five years old, and he has been through six brain and spinal surgeries. Even so, he cannot express himself, he has severe emotional outbursts, and he gets tired quickly. He does understand language, but he will not be able to read or write. When the boy is older, he will have to be confined to a motorized wheelchair. He will probably need future surgeries, in addition to a lifetime of medical care and support related to daily life. He will need constant supervision, and as he grows bigger and stronger, his parents may not be able to care for him safely in their home because of his intense and violent emotional outbursts. By the time he is a young adult, he may need to live in a secure facility that is designed specifically for people who have similar needs.
The doctor admitted that use of forceps increases the risk of injury to both the child and the mother. It is not appropriate to use forceps in situations like the one that led to this lawsuit, when labor is progressing, albeit slowly. Forceps are not supposed to get used often. In some cases, they are used to deliver a baby safely without resorting to an emergency c-section.
This case is somewhat unique because the child’s parents sued the federal government, in addition to the doctor who caused the boy’s injuries. The injury took place in a federally funded health care facility, so the federal government is the proper party from which to seek compensation for the boy’s injury. The injured boy and his family got awarded forty-two million dollars, a significant portion of which is needed for his future care, and the remainder in acknowledgment of pain and suffering as well as loss of future earnings. This award is possibly the largest one that has ever been given in a medical malpractice case in the middle district of Pennsylvania.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Helping Injured Children and their Families
If your child was injured by the use of forceps during delivery, they could require extensive medical and personal care. You and your child may need financial support to be able to have all of the necessary care required because of your child’s injury. A birth injury lawsuit could serve the dual purpose of holding those who injured your child responsible for their actions and providing the financial resources that your family needs to care for your child now and into the future. The Mississippi Birth Injury Attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. might be able to help you – call (601) 355-2022 to learn more.