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Birth Injury Tag

Erring On The Side Of Malpractice: When Cautious Treatment Causes Harm

Malpractice

For medical professionals, perhaps nothing is more ironic than when actions taken to avoid medical malpractice negligence actually cause it. Yet unnecessary testing and treatment occur constantly in the U.S. medical industry. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the National Academy of Medicine reports that unnecessary testing alone is performed to the tune of over $200 billion a year.1 Beyond the monetary implications of such actions is the potential for harm to patients.  Unnecessary testing can cause delays in medical care that in turn can result in improper treatment, advancement of illness, or even death. Further, unneeded treatment in itself can cause...

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Infant Birth Injuries Due To Vacuum-Assisted Delivery

infant birth injuries

In a shift away from the use of forceps during vaginal births, vacuum-assisted delivery of babies has become more prevalent over the past 20 years.1 Unfortunately, this type of infant delivery carries a number of risks, including the potential development of neonatal intracranial hemorrhages, convulsions, or encephalopathy.2 Strict protocol must be adhered to in instances where vacuum-assisted delivery is the procedure of choice. When protocol is not followed, or is improperly implemented, short-term or permanent birth injury may result for the baby, the mother, or both. In situations involving provable medical malpractice negligence with regard to infant birth injuries caused...

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Medication And Malpractice-Related Birth Injuries

malpractice-related birth injuries

Among the various types of medical malpractice-related birth injuries are those involving medications. Such birth injuries can result from overmedication, improper medication, or even a lack of medicating, and can occur at any stage from the onset of pregnancy to the postpartum "after-the-birth" phase. Mother, child, or both may be affected. For example, if a drug is prescribed for a pregnant woman and she has a known but overlooked contraindication to its use that results in harm to her and/or her unborn child or children, the result may be one or more medical malpractice-related birth injuries. In cases involving multiple births, the...

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Mallard & Sharp Win $33.8 Million Dollar Medical Malpractice Verdict

Birth Injury Lawyer

Mallard & Sharp, P.A. were counsel for a $33.8 Million dollar medical malpractice verdict that was the Largest Medical Malpractice Verdict in the State of Florida in 2017 in the case of MARLA DIXON, EARL REESE-THORNTON, and ER v. The United States of America, of E.R., a minor, Case No.: 1:15-cv- 23502. The case involved a doctor who lied and changed medical records after he failed to perform an emergency C-section to deliver plaintiff E.R. when the doctor was on his cell phone with his stock broker. THE CASE WAS TURNED DOWN BY OTHER ATTORNEYS before Mallard & Sharp, P.A. became involved. RICHARD SHARP AND FOUNDING FIRM...

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Twins And Birth Injuries: Is It Medical Malpractice Or Negligence?

twins and birth injuries

By their general nature, births involving twins or other multiples in pregnancy run a higher risk of experiencing birth defects, with one twin often more affected than the other.1 In addition, certain conditions, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a serious, life-threatening form of brain damage that can occur during childbirth, have the potential to be more common among twin births. Further, a rare condition in which twins share the placenta and one twin receives more blood flow than the other, known as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), can occur, and often presents with devastating consequences.2 But what about when such risk is compounded...

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Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Brain Injury During Birth: Proving Medical Malpractice & Negligence

Brain Injury During Birth

Traumatic Brain Injury During Birth in infants is a heartbreaking and all-too-common experience for many new parents. There are an array of causes, including Cerebral Palsy, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy), and others, which can be the result of breech-birth complications, C-section injuries, or medical malpractice negligence—or a combination of these and other factors. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in particular have been reported as the leading cause of death and disability in children, with instrumental delivery being noted as a major cause.1  Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation and limited...

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Epidural Birth Injuries

Epidural Birth Injuries

There are many stages during pregnancy and childbirth during which birth injuries can occur, including Epidural Birth Injuries. Among them are those associated with pain relief during labor and delivery, including the administration of an epidural. An intricate process requiring the skills of an experienced licensed anesthesiologist or other licensed and approved specialist, the placement of an epidural involves administering an anesthetic in the small epidural space within the spine. An error in the placement of an epidural needle or a mistake by a student intern during the process, for example, may lead to permanent epidural birth injuries for the...

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COVID-19 And Birth Injuries Including Medical Malpractice Negligence

COVID-19 and birth injuries

Both COVID-19 and birth injuries create difficult and even devastating situations that can wreak havoc on the lives of individuals and families. But when COVID-19 is the cause of birth injuries — including deaths — due to medical malpractice negligence, new circumstances emerge and different legal strategies are required to ensure justice and secure financial resources for medical needs. According to the CDC, those who are pregnant or were recently pregnant carry an increased risk of becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19 compared with those who are not pregnant. 1 This includes illness that requires pregnant individuals to be hospitalized,...

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Common Birth Injuries: Newborn Clavicle Fracture Birth Injury

Clavicle Fracture Birth Injury

Among the many types of birth injuries are those involving fractures. And among fracture-related birth injuries, clavicle fractures are the most common.1  While many heal without incident, 2 in certain instances their occurrence in the first place may be due to medical malpractice negligence, and permanent injury may result. In addition, surgical repair or other intervention may be necessary. In cases of permanent birth injury, costs and related considerations that involve not only current care, but also future care, are of concern. In serious clavicle fracture birth injury cases, legal assistance is often sought, with a main goal of securing fair...

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Cerebral Palsy: Common Birth Injuries With Multiple Causes.

Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

Learning that your newborn baby has a birth injury is devastating in itself. But what if you’re faced with a diagnosis from a multi-faceted group of birth injuries compounded by a maze of possible causes? Such is the case with Cerebral Palsy, which is often mistaken for one type of palsy induced by brain damage. Cerebral Palsy is, in fact, a group of disorders that may be caused by either a brain injury or abnormal brain development. And while abnormal brain development may occur before or after delivery, brain injuries can occur before, during, or after delivery. Further complicating cases involving Cerebral...

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