The birth of a child must be a time full of excitement and joy. But when a medical mistake occurs, and something goes wrong, this special moment can quickly turn into a period of anxiety. If your little one has experienced a birth injury, you might feel overwhelmed about what’s coming next. Just remember that you don’t have to go through this by yourself.
Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers are here to help families cope with these tough situations. Our injury law firm can determine if a doctor’s negligence played a role and, if so, hold the medical team responsible. Our team will act as both advocates and supportive guides for families in uncertain times.
- Boston Birth Injury Attorneys
- What Is Considered a Birth Injury?
- Most Common Birth Injuries
- Compensation in Birth Injury Cases
- The Average Birth Injury Settlement in Boston, MA
- Why Do You Need Birth Injury Attorneys?
- Client Reviews
- Reach Out to Our Birth Injury Law Firm
- Get a Free Case Evaluation
- 30-Day, Risk-Free Guarantee
Boston Birth Injury Attorneys
You might think you can handle this challenge by yourself, just focusing on your child’s immediate care. However, getting help from an experienced birth injury attorney can make a big difference for your family down the road.
Dealing with a birth injury comes with many medical and legal issues that are difficult to manage alone. The expenses associated with a child’s injuries can be high. Regular therapies and special equipment can add up fast and put a strain on your finances.
While you’re an expert at caring for your child, birth injury lawyers are experts at fighting for justice and the compensation you deserve. They can take on the legal routine so you can focus on your kid’s health and family’s needs.
A personal injury lawyer will thoroughly investigate your case, collecting medical records and consulting with experts to verify there was negligence involved. They’ll work hard to build a strong legal case for you, doing all the paperwork and communicating with the insurance companies and hospital lawyers. If necessary, your Boston birth injury attorney will stand up for you in court.
Knowing you’ve done everything you can to secure your kid’s future can bring you relief. It will be an important step in your family’s healing process.
What Is Considered a Birth Injury?
It’s essential to understand the difference between birth injuries and birth defects. Birth injuries usually happen because of issues during the birthing process, while birth defects often develop when the baby is still in the womb, often caused by genetic problems or environmental factors.
Birth injuries can vary from mild and temporary issues to serious problems that last for a child’s life. Keep in mind that not all birth injuries are easy to identify right away; some might only show up as the kid grows and develops.
Most Common Birth Injuries
As our team’s decades of experience handling birth injury lawsuits show, the most common injuries are the following:
If you suspect your kid might have suffered any of these birth injuries, seek proper medical care immediately. You should also consider consulting with a knowledgeable birth injury lawyer. They can help you understand your rights, making sure your child gets the best care.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a combination of disorders that affect someone’s ability to move and keep their balance. It usually happens because of the baby’s brain damage that occurs before or during the birth process or in the early childhood years.
The symptoms can range from mild to severe and might involve muscle stiffness, poor coordination, weak muscles, and shaking. Even though there’s no cure for cerebral palsy, there are different treatments and therapies that can improve kid’s capabilities and improve their overall quality of life.
Newborn Infections
Newborns can get infections when they’re exposed to harmful bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms during pregnancy, delivery, or right after they’re born. Some usual infections are Group B Strep, E. coli, and herpes simplex virus.
If these infections aren’t diagnosed and treated quickly, they can cause serious problems like sepsis, meningitis, or pneumonia. Good prenatal care and antibiotics can usually stop a lot of these newborn infections.
Brain and Spinal Damage
Newborns can also suffer spinal and brain injuries because of oxygen deprivation, physical injuries during birth, or other issues. These injuries can seriously impact a kid’s cognitive and physical development over time.
You might notice signs like seizures, trouble eating, or delays in reaching developmental milestones. The level of severity can differ, and some kids may need support and care for their whole lives.
Prenatal Testing
Although it’s not a birth injury on its own, medical errors in prenatal testing can cause many birth injuries or missed opportunities for early help. Prenatal testing covers multiple screenings and diagnostic tests done during pregnancy to check the fetus’s health and spot any possible genetic problems or birth defects.
If these tests are misinterpreted or if important tests aren’t done, you may be unready for a child’s special needs. This may also lead to missed treatments that could be done before birth.
Brachial Plexus/Erb’s Palsy
Brachial plexus injuries, like Erb’s palsy, happen when the network of nerves that goes from the baby’s neck to the arm gets damaged during birth. This usually occurs during tough deliveries, especially when there are issues with the baby’s shoulders.
You might see symptoms like weakness or even paralysis in the affected arm. The severity can vary from a little weakness to permanent disabilities. Mild cases can be improved thanks to physical therapy, while more severe ones may require surgery.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome, or abusive head trauma, is a serious type of child abuse. It happens when a baby’s head gets shaken hard, with their brain shaking back and forth inside the skull. This can cause brain bruising, swelling, and even bleeding and, thus, lead to permanent brain damage or even wrongful death.
Compensation in Birth Injury Cases
When a child gets a birth injury because of medical malpractice, this can affect the entire family, both emotionally and financially. The law recognizes this and allows families to claim different kinds of damages by filing a birth injury case.
These damages help cover both the expenses and losses that the family faces now and in the future because of the injury. Every case is different, but here are some of the most common types of damages that may be covered by birth injury settlements:
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Medical costs
This covers all the medical expenses related to the birth injury, both current and upcoming. It includes surgeries, medications, physical therapy, assistive devices, and more.
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Lost wages
Sometimes, parents might have to take time off work or even leave their jobs to look after their kid. This category compensates for the money they lost due to missing work for doctor’s appointments and care, plus any future earnings.
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Pain and suffering
This compensates for the physical pain, the emotional trauma and mental struggle, and the loss of fun and enjoyment in life.
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Disability
If the birth injury leads to a lasting disability, the compensation can cover the expenses that come with it. This could include costs for lifelong care, special education, and the potential loss of future earnings for the child.
The Average Birth Injury Settlement in Boston, MA
Every case is one-of-a-kind, with its own circumstances, injury severity, and long-term effects. The birth injury settlements can vary, going from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Several aspects can affect the settlement.
Birth injury lawyers analyze the type and severity of the child’s birth injury, the expected costs for lifetime care, how the injury might impact the child’s future earning potential, and how much medical negligence was involved. For example, if a case has a serious injury like cerebral palsy needing lifelong care, it usually ends up with a bigger settlement compared to a case with a less severe, temporary injury.
Why Do You Need Birth Injury Attorneys?
Birth trauma attorneys are good negotiators, even aggressive (in a positive meaning). They know how to file a birth injury lawsuit correctly and will communicate with an insurance company and hospital legal teams, who often try to decrease payouts or even deny your birth injury claim completely.
A reliable attorney will ensure you get fair financial compensation that covers not just your current medical bills but also any future medical expenses, possible lost wages, and other long-term expenses related to your child’s injury. If your case goes to trial, assistance from specialists with courtroom experience, like Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers, is critical.
Our team of experienced attorneys can make your case sound convincing, question witnesses, and handle all the tricky parts of the legal process. We’ll negotiate the highest possible compensation from the insurers or make sure you receive a fair verdict from the trial.
Client Reviews
Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers is a group that is totally dedicated to excellence and efficiency. I was very grateful for the regular communication about my case and for the genuine way I was cared for throughout the process. When I called, anyone who answered always directed me to the correct person I needed to talk to, and it never felt like a problem to stay in touch with the folks working on my case. Definitely recommend to anyone with a wrongful injury who wants a tenacious team that will fight for them!
Gwyneth Jones Moreno
Reach Out to Our Birth Injury Law Firm
Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers is a team of personal injury attorneys with extensive expertise in birth injury cases. We’re proud to offer a 30-day client satisfaction guarantee and 24/7 support.
We believe in taking a personal approach with every case. Your story is unique, and we’ll treat it that way.
Contact us for a free consultation, and our experienced birth injury lawyers will carefully investigate your case and negotiate on your behalf to help your family receive full and fair compensation!
