A Birth Injury Attorney Fighting for Your Child's Rights
Mistakes made during childbirth can result in immense harm to a child, often requiring special care for the rest of his or her life. If your newborn was injured as a result of a medical professional's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Chris Olsen is an experienced birth injury attorney in San Diego, CA, helping victims of medical negligence and their families to collect the damages they need in order to cope with these devastating injuries. Contact our practice to learn more about how we can help you.
Attorney Chris Olsen and his team will work to prove liability and substantiate the full extent of losses resulting from a birth injury, including costs of medical care, pain and suffering, and changes to quality of life.
Causes of Birth Injury
Some medical errors that can cause injury to a newborn include:
- Failure to respond to fetal distress, unexpected bleeding, or umbilical cord entrapment
- Oxygen deprivation
- Delay in performing a C-section
- Poor infant care after birth
- Misuse of vacuum extractor or forceps
- Improper use of pitocin
- Failure to properly manage infection
- Failure to properly deliver a baby who has stopped progressing during labor
Cerebral Palsy
Although the majority of cerebral palsy cases begin in utero, some are caused by negligence during the birth process. A result of damage to the brain, cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture. The severity of the symptoms vary, however most patients experience impaired movement such as exaggerated or involuntary reflexes, rigidity of the limbs and core, abnormal posture, an inability to walk steadily, or a combination of these symptoms. Those with cerebral palsy may also suffer from intellectual disabilities.
Seizures and Learning Disorders
When there is not enough oxygen in the newborn's blood, or there is poor blood circulation, brain damage can occur. If a baby is not breathing within a few minutes of being delivered, the medical staff must act quickly. Even a few minutes of oxygen deprivation can result in lifelong brain damage, learning disorders, and seizures.
Erb’s Palsy
Erb's Palsy is a paralysis of the arm that can occur as a result of a difficult birth. If an infant's shoulders become lodged behind the mother's pelvic bone during delivery, significant manipulation may be required. If improper action is taken by the medical team, a brachial plexus injury can occur. Located near the neck, the brachial plexus is a network of nerves that provides movement and feeling to the shoulder, arm, hand, and fingers. These nerves can be unintentionally stretched, causing injury. As a result, the baby may experience the inability to turn his head or perform fine motor activities such as writing. More severe injury may result in weakness or loss of feeling in one arm, or even partial or total paralysis of an arm.
Determining Liability
At Olsen Law Offices, we understand that dealing with a birth injury is incredibly difficult. Attorney Chris Olsen and his team will work to prove liability and substantiate the full extent of losses resulting from a birth injury, including costs of medical care, pain and suffering, and changes to quality of life. He will attempt to negotiate a fair settlement for you and your family during pre-trial. However, if the need arises, he will not hesitated to take a defendant to court.
Contact Us
Chris Olsen has a proven track record of helping injured parties collect the compensation they deserve. Contact his office today to schedule a free consultation.
