When a mother enters a Mississippi hospital to give birth to a child, she and the father always hope to leave with a happy, healthy child. Unfortunately, the process of giving birth can have complications that result in harm to the child. For many years, physicians’ use of forceps—long, metal tongs used to extract a child from the birth canal—was routine in hospitals. Now it is known that forceps deliveries can result in serious, preventable injuries to the child. If your child was injured during a forceps delivery, you may be able to recover compensation to pay for any resulting costs associated with the injury.
If you or your child sustained an injury as a result of a forceps delivery, you must find experienced counsel to help you attain your fair share of compensation for his or her injuries. Barrett Law has the experience to help if you or your child was injured, and has experience helping families in similar circumstances here in Mississippi. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
What is a Forceps Delivery and Why is it a Problem?
Physicians do a forceps delivery when the mother is having a difficult labor. “Difficult” can mean different things, but generally means pushing without progress or a situation where the baby’s heartbeat indicates that he or she is in some form of distress. In a forceps delivery, the doctor clamps down on your baby’s head using forceps to remove him or her from the birth canal. Sometimes this procedure is a success and there are no ensuing injuries; however, in some cases forceps deliveries cause harm to the mother, the baby, or both.
Forceps deliveries can injure the mother’s bladder or urethra. It can also cause uterine rupture, lower genital tract tears and weakening of the muscles supporting your pelvic region, among related risks. For the infant, forceps deliveries can cause facial injuries including eye trauma, skull fractures, or bleeding in the skull, among other possible injuries.
What is the Legal Standard for Negligence in a Forceps Delivery?
It is important to note that sometimes a forceps delivery is necessary and appropriate. Moreover, in those instances where the technique was necessary and appropriate, sometimes injuries result. You do not have a viable personal injury claim just because you or your child was injured. Instead, you must prove that the doctor was negligent and that that negligence caused your or your child’s injuries. In this context, negligence means that the doctor failed to meet the standard of care for the procedure and that failure caused your injuries.
What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Scaffolding Accident?
If you or your child were injured in a forceps delivery, you might have a viable personal injury claim for any injuries or health problems that have subsequently developed. Specifically, you may be due compensation for any time you have been out of work, the costs of your treatment and rehabilitation, your pain and suffering, and other damages. Your child may be due compensation for any injuries and/or suffering he or she has had to endure. Let experienced personal injury counsel take care of organizing your bills, attaining medical analysis from respected expert witnesses, and dealing with the hospital and physician’s attorneys. These are just a few of the critical, complex tasks that a personal injury attorney will handle for you while you concentrate on healing, getting back on your feet again, and caring for your child.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you or your child was injured as a result of a forceps delivery. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
