Washington, D.C. Birth Injury Lawyers
Experienced attorneys with your family in mind
The birth of a newborn should be a joyous occasion for parents. Unfortunately, due in part to negligence and medical malpractice, some births result in painful and permanent disabilities in innocent children.
Often, a birth injury could have been avoided.
Birth injury statistics show that each year approximately six out of every 1,000 births in the United States result in mild to severe birth injuries. Mild birth injuries can include small scratches or bruises incurred during the delivery process. In more severe cases, complications and medical mistakes can cause—
Traumatic birth injuries
Doctors and nurses are trained to recognize fetal distress. If they fail to do so or fail to act quickly, your child's life can be irreparably impacted. Truly, when birth injuries occur, everyone involved is a victim.
These injuries and their resulting conditions are often due to—
- Choosing an inappropriate delivery method
- Failing to promptly treat lack of oxygen, infection and/or internal bleeding
- Administering incorrect doses or wrong medication to babies or their mothers
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the name given to a group of movement disorders, ranging from limbs being very rigid in some children and very flaccid in others. CP's motor component can affect just the lower limbs (paraplegia or diplegia), the arm and leg of one side of the body (hemiplegia), or all four limbs (quadriplegia). Essentially, it is believed that damage to portions of the brain occurs before birth, during birth, or in some cases relatively soon after birth and even during early childhood. At times, this diagnosis is not made until many months—sometimes years—after a child is born.
Special needs children affected with cerebral palsy may also suffer other problems such as—
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Nash & Associates represents parents whose children have been diagnosed with CP and whose condition may be the result of medical or other health care malpractice. Contact us for more information, or visit our resources or FAQs page.
Erb's palsy (brachial plexus palsy)
Erb's palsy or brachial plexus palsy is caused by injuries to a network of nerves running from the spine in the area of the upper cervical region to the nerve root below the first thoracic vertebra (C5–T1)—the brachial plexus nerve system—which can cause injuries to the shoulder, arm, and/or hand. Injuries to these nerves can happen through tearing or stretching of the nerve fibers. These injuries affect the nervous and circulatory systems in the affected areas. This type of injury may result in permanent sensory or motor deficits in your baby's shoulder, arm, and/or hand. If your child has sustained a brachial plexus birth injury or has been diagnosed with Erb's palsy, you may have a case for medical negligence. Contact Nash & Associates for focused malpractice experience and skilled legal representation.
Vacuum extractor injuries
Usually, the use of a vacuum extractor or forceps, when indicated, is safe, when indicated, for the birth of a baby:
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Due to the softness of a newborn's skull, these instruments must be used with the utmost care. Failure to properly use these instruments during your baby's delivery may cause significant injury as a result of medical malpractice. If your baby suffered a serious injury during childbirth through negligent use of these instruments, contact the firm. You may have a birth injury case.
Facial paralysis, brain damage, and spinal cord damage
Mild birth injuries can include scratches and some surface bruising. Serious birth injuries, however, yield long-term effects that impact the child's and the parents' lives. Medical care workers are trained to recognize difficult labor or improper positioning of the baby and are taught the proper ways to deliver a baby in these situations. However, errors in these handling situations can happen, leading to permanent injury. Facial paralysis, brain damage, and spinal cord damage can result from such negligence. If you suspect or are concerned that your child has sustained any serious injury due to the negligence of a health care professional, contact our law firm. Experienced birth injury lawyers at Nash & Associates can help you determine if you have a medical liability case.
For more information on birth injuries and the litigation process that follows, please visit our resources page and our frequently asked questions page.
Prepared to help
We understand the emotional toll a birth injury can take on your family. Strength in experience, legal ability, and attention to detail are the hallmarks of Nash & Associates. Call the firm at 202-327-5498 or toll-free at 800-690-7895, or contact us online to schedule your initial consultation.
