Birth Injury Cases Are Complex

Birth injury cases are among the most complex medical negligence cases. Birth injury cases involve many medical specialties, including obstetrics, neonatology, pediatric neurology, pediatric neuroradiology, placental pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, labor and delivery nursing, and hospital administration, policies and procedures.

We have handled a number of birth injury cases to a successful conclusion. While challenging, these cases, when successful, can provide the ability for enhanced lifelong care and well-being. We have also handled birth injury cases, including those referred by former clients and attorney colleagues. We have represented plaintiffs in Oregon, Washington, and other states. We have developed a network of attorneys and experts who assist us, when needed, in birth injury cases.

A birth injury claim is not an easy process to navigate, but the lawyers at the Portland office of Savage Law Firm can help you through it. We have more than 40 years of experience helping clients throughout Oregon with their malpractice and birth injury claims, and we want to help you earn the justice you and your child deserve after your incident.

How Malpractice Can Hurt Your Child In Oregon

When medical professionals are not cautious and focused during childbirth, their actions can cause injuries that leave a child with a lifetime of complications. Some common forms of these injuries include:

• Erb’s palsy
• Bone fractures
• Intracranial hemorrhage
• Spinal cord injuries
• Forceps and vacuum-related injuries
• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)

These injuries can leave parents with considerable costs, like additional surgeries, medications, medical equipment, physical therapies, lost income and more. For children, they can suffer consequences like loss of bodily function, pain and suffering, and other noneconomic costs. Our goal in these claims is to maximize the resulting settlement, so it includes these and any other costs from the injuries.

Some parents make the mistake of assuming they cannot file a claim for these injuries because too much time has passed since the harm took place. In Oregon, you have two years from the date of the injury or the date you discovered it to file a claim. Even if it seems like there is plenty of time to begin, starting your claim now gives us the best chance to build a strong case.

Common Causes Of Birth Injuries In Lake Oswego

Birth injuries can happen for many reasons. Knowing these causes helps families spot possible claims. Here are some common reasons for birth injuries:

• Long labor: When labor lasts too long, it can stress the baby and raise the chance of injury. Doctors and nurses must watch labor closely and act if needed to keep the baby safe.
• Not checking the baby’s heart rate: Tracking the baby’s heart rate during labor is important. If medical staff miss signs of trouble, it can lead to serious problems for the baby.
• Wrong use of delivery tools: The proper use of tools like forceps or vacuum extractors requires careful handling and should occur only when medically necessary. Using them incorrectly can cause injuries, such as broken bones in the skull or nerve damage.
• Late cesarean section: If labor is not moving forward, a C-section done on time can protect the baby. Waiting too long can lead to issues like not enough oxygen for the baby.
• Mother’s infections: An untreated maternal infection can pass to the baby during birth. This can cause serious health problems for the newborn.
• Poor handling of high-risk pregnancies: Pregnancies with health issues or more than one baby need extra care. If doctors do not manage these risks well, it can lead to birth injuries.

Learning about these causes can help families find out if negligence played a role. At Savage Law Firm, we have over 40 years of experience in medical negligence cases in Lake Oswego and Portland. Our team is ready to guide you through these cases and help you seek the compensation your family deserves.

Other Ways That Your Child Can Be Impacted By Medical Negligence

Fetal Ultrasounds

Fetal ultrasounds are typically performed at the end of the first trimester and the end of the second trimester. Fetal ultrasound studies are useful to determine if certain congenital defects are present in the fetus. When an ultrasound identifies birth defects, doctors can often provide treatment or perform surgical repairs to improve the newborn’s health and longevity.

If a technician performs a fetal ultrasound improperly or a doctor misreads the results, this can delay the necessary treatment or surgical repair. This can have devastating consequences for a newborn.

We have handled several fetal ultrasound cases that revealed incorrect ultrasound methods or misread results. In some instances, we also discovered that the policies and procedures for conducting field ultrasounds were inadequate. We have worked with national experts in fetal ultrasound cases to help obtain recovery for our clients.

Sepsis And Infections

Sepsis is a leading cause of death in America. Doctors must treat sepsis early and aggressively to prevent devastating consequences. These consequences can include loss of limbs and death. In many cases, laboratory studies can help detect the presence of sepsis. When medical staff fail to perform laboratory studies or ignore lab results, they may delay treatment.

Timely and appropriate treatment can prevent the devastating consequences of sepsis in many cases.

Sepsis cases customarily involve issues of lifelong disability and rehabilitation. Sepsis cases can also involve specialized life care planning and investment of settlement proceeds to ensure ongoing treatment and rehabilitation over the course of a lifetime. We work with medical experts, as well as financial advisors and trustees, to ensure the proper investment of settlement proceeds in every case.

Emergency Room Cases

When a patient is in the emergency department, emergency physicians should consider a “worst first” approach in order to rule out life-threatening conditions. Clinicians use a differential diagnosis to identify the correct condition. However, when they fail to use it – or use it improperly – they may overlook important clinical findings and make poor decisions that harm the patient.

We have handled countless emergency room cases. We have developed relationships with medical experts to assist us in these cases. We have the benefit of MD JD (medical doctor with law degree) colleagues who assist us in evaluating emergency room cases.

Delayed Diagnosis Of Cancer

Delaying the diagnosis of cancer can be devastating. Sadly, delayed diagnosis of cancer cases involves both adults and children. In every delayed diagnosis of a cancer case, the central issue is always whether earlier discovery and treatment would have likely changed the outcome. In some cases, this is relatively easy to identify. However, in other cases, this analysis becomes extremely complex and may even be uncertain.

We have available to us oncology experts to help evaluate the delayed diagnosis of cancer cases. We also have life care planners, and physical medicine and rehabilitation experts to help identify lifelong issues resulting from a delay in cancer treatment.

Ophthalmology/Eye Cases

The human eye is an extremely complex structure. The field of ophthalmology involves various sub-specialties for the treatment of issues involving the cornea, retina, optic nerve, thyroid, eye disease, oculoplastic issues (involving structures surrounding the eye), and more. We have handled ophthalmology cases across each of these subspecialties.

Let Our Portland Team Help Your Family

We understand the delicate nature of these cases, and we are a law firm that cares just as much about the outcome of these cases as our clients do. If you are ready to file your birth injury claim or you want to learn more about how we can help, call us at 503-766-5337 or email us here for your free initial consultation today.