Maryland Birth Injury Lawyer

Medical Malpractice Lawyer for Birth Injury Cases

When a doctor, nurse or obstetrician fails to provide adequate medical care and attention during the labor or delivery process, the result may be a serious birth injury. While some birth injuries are minor, the majority of birth injuries often affect the baby’s quality of life for years to come, if not for the rest of their lives. If you have a loved one who is a victim of a Maryland Birth injury then call our office to speak to our Maryland Birth injury Lawyer. Many of these injuries are caused at our local hospitals such as Civista Hospital in Charles County Maryland, Calvert County Hospital in Calvert County, Maryland, St. Mary's Hospital in St. Mary's County, Maryland or Southern Maryland Hospital in Prince George County, Maryland. Our Charles County Birth Injury Lawyers can help you in your time of need. Call now for a free consultation.

The cost of caring for a child who’s suffered a life-changing birth injury is very expensive. Children with birth injuries often require ongoing medical care, frequent hospitalization, long-term physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Furthermore, your child may also need special adaptive equipment and extra assistance in the classroom or at home. The Law Offices of Robert R. Castro understands that most families cannot afford the high medical costs associated with caring for a child with a birth injury. If your child has suffered a birth injury due to doctor or hospital malpractice, Maryland birth injury lawyer Robert Castro and his staff can help you exercise your rights to recovery by filing a strong and effective claim on your behalf.

There is nothing more exciting to potential parents than bringing a new life into the world. The excitement can also be accompanied by anxiety and dread in many instances. Labor and delivery can be intimidating to new parents. They must trust that their doctors are performing to the best of their abilities and providing both them and their new child with the best possible medical care. They have to put their lives and their child’s life in the hands of the doctor and trust that nothing bad will happen. Unfortunately, doctors who are responsible for delivering babies can needlessly endanger that health and safety of the baby (and the mom) through poor choices and inattention. Those medical errors can result in irreparable harm to the baby during delivery.

One of the most common injuries during birth is caused by hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen. The baby could be deprived of the oxygen necessary for a healthy life and normal brain function. Several different conditions can result from this lack of oxygen. The most common is cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is an all-encompassing term that includes damage to the brain that results from lack of oxygen during birth. It is caused by damage to the area of the brain that controls the child’s motor function and cognition. Some children diagnosed with cerebral palsy are able to live productive lives, but others may be severely disabled and require constant medical care and attention.

There can be several causes of hypoxia during and immediately prior to delivery, including an unusual birthing position, problems with the umbilical cord or, as previously mentioned, prolonged labor and delivery. In some of those cases, if the obstetrician or the obstetrical nurses have failed to follow accepted standards of care for the prompt and timely delivery of the baby, medical malpractice or negligence may have occurred. If the baby is being denied oxygen to the brain or organs, every second of a delivery delay imposes further compromise and potentially permanent, life altering injury to the child. It is the obstetrician’s responsibility to order an emergency caesarean section when information suggests that the baby is in fetal distress. Physicians and nurses must pay attention to a baby’s vital signs – as known through multiple sources, including a fetal heart rate monitor – and deliver the baby in a timely fashion.

A Maryland birth injury is not always caused by medical malpractice. Sometimes life deals an unfortunate hand. An experienced legal professional will be able to tell the difference between an accepted complication of labor and delivery and medical malpractice. The Maryland Birth injury law firm of Robert Castro has the experience, knowledge, skills, and resources to successfully represent clients in birth injury cases. Our understanding of the legal and medical issues involved in such cases come from successfully representing injured babies and their families in personal injury lawsuits. If you believe that your child suffered physical injuries or brain trauma and you would like to speak with a personal injury lawyer, call the attorneys at the Law office of Robert Castro.

Phone: 301-870-1200

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders involving brain and nervous system functions such as movement, hearing, seeing and sometimes thinking. The term cerebral refers to the brain and palsy refers paralysis or lack of control with one's body. It is often a disability resulting from lack of oxygen to the brain during pregnancy, labor or delivery. It can be caused by medical negligence or improper medical care by a nurse, doctor or other medical professional. If you need a cerebral palsy Maryland lawyer contact our office.

What is Cerebral Palsy? Types of Cerebral Palsy

According to Cerebral Palsy: A Complete Guide for Caregiving, by Freeman Miller, MD and Steven J. Bachrach, MD, the types of cerebral palsy are classified by the movement impairment they produce.

• Spastic CP – Doctors diagnose spastic CP by the stiffness of the muscles. Experts differ in opinion about how often spastic CP occurs. It is estimated that 70 to 80 percent of all people with CP have spastic CP.
• Athetoid CP – Athetoid cerebral palsy is the second most common type, accounting for 5 to 20 percent of all CP cases. Ataxic CP is the least common type, affecting 5 to 10 percent of all CP cases.
• Ataxic CP – Ataxic CP is the least common type, affecting 5 to 10 percent of all people with CP.
• Mixed type CP – The remaining types of cerebral palsy are mixed type, or combinations of the others.

 What is Cerebral Palsy? Palsy Symptoms

According to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy symptoms include:

• Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity)
• Variations in muscle tone — too stiff or too floppy
• Stiff muscles with normal reflexes (rigidity)
• Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia)
• Tremors or involuntary movements
• Slow, writhing movements (athetosis)
• Delays in reaching milestones, such as pushing up on arms, sitting up alone or crawling.

What is Cerebral Palsy? Is there a Cure?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), there is no cure for CP. However, cerebral palsy treatment can improve the lives of those who have it. The quality of the care, education, and treatment of children with CP can help children become as independent as possible. One child might require only a little help. Another may need care for life. Children with cerebral palsy deserve quality care, which can be expensive and ongoing. The cerebral palsy life expectancy is the same as anyone else's.

What is Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Attorney?

If you believe your child has a birth injury that may have been caused by negligent or improper medical care, our birth injury attorneys may be able to help. We have over 30 years of experience representing families like yours in birth injury cases resulting from substandard care. Our team of skilled Legal Nurses will listen to your concerns and help get your questions answered.

Erb's Palsy

Erb’s palsy, also known as brachial plexus palsy, is a condition resulting from a brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is the network of nerves that send signals from the spine to the shoulders, arms and hands.

When an infant’s shoulder is caught behind the mother’s pubic bone during childbirth – a circumstance known as shoulder dystocia -- an obstetrical emergency may result in a brachial plexus injury as those nerves get stretched or torn. When the upper nerves are damaged, the injury leads to the condition known as Erb’s palsy. When the lower nerves are damaged, the injury leads to a condition known as Klumpke’s palsy. When both the lower and upper nerves of the brachial plexus are injured, total brachial plexus palsy results.

There are Four Types of Erb's Palsy:

• Neurapraxia: stretching of the nerve without tearing
• Rupture: tearing of the nerve, without separation from the spinal cord
• Avulsion: the nerve tearing away from the spine
• Neuroma: growth of scar tissue around the injury that places pressure on the healthy, uninjured nerves, preventing these nerves from sending signals to the muscles

Treating Erb's Palsy

Because a child with Erb’s Palsy typically cannot move the affected limb independently, daily physical therapy is encouraged for proper Erb’s Palsy treatment. Occupational therapy and hydrotherapy might also be part of a treatment regimen. In some cases, a doctor might recommend surgery for Erb’s palsy.

The Cost of Erb's Palsy for a Family

The total costs associated with Erb’s Palsy vary widely depending on the severity of the nerve injury. Some cases of Erb’s Palsy lead to invasive surgeries, which incur tremendous costs both financially and emotionally. Some cases of Erb’s Palsy lead to paralysis, which makes more care and assistance necessary. Different treatment methods carry vastly different costs. Without help, the cost of these treatments can be more than a family can afford. An Erb’s Palsy lawsuit can result in a settlement that will help to ease this financial burden. An experienced Maryland Erb’s Palsy attorney (also known as an Maryland Erb’s Palsy lawyer) can help. Speak with Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyers to discuss the particular details of your child’s birth injury. The consultation is free.

Filing a birth injury lawsuit cost you nothing. We only receive a fee if we win the case on your behalf, awarding your family the compensation you need and deserve. Our Maryland Medical malpractice lawyers can assist you. Call now.

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Other Birth Injuries

Other birth injuries besides cerebral palsy and Erb’s Palsy or brachial plexus injury can occur during childbirth as the result of improper care by a doctor, midwife, or nurse, including:

• Bleeding in the brain
• Brain damage
• Brain swelling
• Facial nerve injury
• Skull fractures.

Other Birth Injuries: Causes

Similar to the causes of cerebral palsy, improper operation of commonly used delivery devices such as vacuum extraction devices or forceps can cause birth injuries. These kinds of devices are used to assist in the delivery of an infant. These devices are useful and necessary in certain situations, yet their safety and effectiveness depends upon the skill and technique of the person using them. When these devices are used improperly, or used under the wrong circumstances, birth injuries can result.

Signs and Symptoms of a Birth Injury

Signs and symptoms of a birth injuries that can occur from the use of vacuum extractors and forceps include:

• Seizures
• Depressions or indentations in the head
• Swelling of the head
• Asymmetrical facial movements (for example, an infant only moves one side of the face when crying, which can be a sign of facial nerve injury).

Birth Injuries Legal Help

A nurse case manager is available to discuss the particular details of your child’s birth injuries. A nurse can also start the process of getting your questions answered, such as what is cerebral palsy? The consultation is free.

Filing a birth injury lawsuit costs you nothing -- we only receive a fee if we win the case on your behalf, awarding you the compensation you need and deserve.