Denver Birth Injury Lawyer

An injury at birth can have long-term consequences for a child, including permanent harm or disability. In Colorado, a birth injury victim may be entitled to financial compensation for his or her losses if someone is at fault, such as a careless doctor. If your child is a victim of a preventable birth injury, consult with an experienced Denver personal injury attorney about your legal rights and options. Contact Dormer Harpring today to receive a free case consultation

What Is a Birth Injury?

A birth injury refers to the harm suffered by an infant before, during, or shortly after the birthing process. A birth injury can occur for various reasons, including human error, negligence, and medical malpractice. Negligence refers to someone failing to exercise proper care, while medical malpractice is negligence by a health care professional.

Common Types of Birth Injuries

A vulnerable infant can sustain a wide variety of injuries during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, especially if a medical professional involved in the birthing process does not adhere to the correct standards of care.

Common birth injuries include:

Brachial plexus injuries, or damage to the nerves located in the shoulder, which are responsible for controlling the muscles in the arm and hand.

Bone fractures, including facial fractures, vertebral fractures, a broken collarbone, and other bones that could break during a difficult delivery.

Traumatic brain injuries, or damage to the brain caused by the force of an impact against the infant’s skull or due to hypoxia (a lack of oxygen reaching the brain).

Cerebral palsy, which is a permanent motor function disorder that can result from damage to a baby’s developing brain in utero.

Spinal cord injuries or damage to a baby’s back or spine from trauma at birth, which could potentially cause irreversible paralysis.

Birth injuries can vary drastically in type and severity. Different injuries may require different treatments, medications, and therapies, and may have diverse outcomes for the victim.

When Is a Birth Injury Medical Malpractice?

A birth injury in Denver may be considered medical malpractice if it results from a doctor, nurse, surgeon, obstetrician, midwife, or another healthcare provider’s failure to meet the expected standard of care based on the situation. For example, if an obstetrician failed to notice the signs of fetal distress, he or she could be held responsible for a subsequent birth injury from a failure to take prompt action.

Birth injuries can arise due to negligent monitoring of the mother and baby, delayed or incorrect emergency intervention, failure to mitigate complications during the mother’s pregnancy, and the misuse of birth-assistive tools such as forceps and vacuums. If someone owed your child a duty of care in the medical industry, breached this duty, and caused the birth injury, your family may be eligible for financial compensation. Contact our Denver medical malpractice attorneys to learn about your legal options.

Damages Available for a Birth Injury in Denver

When someone else is responsible for causing a birth injury, Colorado law permits the victim or victim’s family to file a personal injury case. This is a type of civil claim that is brought against a healthcare provider for breaching the medical industry’s standard of care and causing patient injury or death. A successful claim could result in damages, or financial compensation, for losses such as past and future medical costs, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and out-of-pocket costs. For help filing a claim, contact our Denver birth injury lawyers.

Contact Our Denver Birth Injury Attorneys

If you believe that a negligent healthcare provider caused or contributed to your child’s birth injury, contact a Denver birth injury attorney as soon as possible for assistance. An attorney will investigate your claim to determine fault and gather evidence. Our law firm has the resources, experience, and connections to experts to strengthen your medical malpractice claim.

Find out how Dormer Harpring can help you with a birth injury case. Schedule a free legal consultation when you call us at (303) 747-4404.