Birth Injury Lawyer Kitchener/Waterloo

If pregnancy can be compared to a months-long marathon, labour leading to delivery might be the sprint to the finish. Unfortunately, sometimes this sprint can take longer than anticipated. As the minutes tick by, and then the hours, a medical provider must use their judgment in determining whether to continue to wait or to perform a caesarean section.

A lengthy labour can increase the chances of fetal distress and maternal exhaustion. Both of these condition can lead to serious birth injuries that could otherwise be prevented with more timely action by a medical practitioner.

For example, prolonged labour may increase the risk of shoulder dystocia due to maternal exhaustion. If a baby’s head is delivered, but its shoulder’s remain lodged behind the woman’s pelvic bone, there’s an increased risk of brachial plexus injuries (the nerve network between the neck and shoulders) or brain injury from a forced extraction.

If a medical provider breaches standards of care due to negligence or incompetence and causes harm to a mother, her fetus or newborn child, it’s called obstetrical malpractice. The effects of this negligence or incompetence can change the course of a life forever in a matter of moments.

Common Types of Birth Injuries

Obstetrical malpractice can cause or contribute to preventable birth injuries at any stage of pregnancy, during labour and delivery, or in the period immediately following birth.

Examples of negligence or incompetence of obstetrical care include:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of a serious medical condition such as fetal tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate), placental insufficiency (damage to the placenta or its failure to grow to support a fetus) or maternal or in utero infection (potentially leading to brain damage).
• Failure to perform or interpret standard tests and screening to prevent conditions such as spina bifida (vertebrae do not enclose to protect nerves around the spine).
• Poor judgment or poor technique when dealing with prolonged labour or traumatic births leading to brain damage (from perinatal asphyxia, anoxia or hypoxia), spinal cord injuries, nerve damage, scarring or broken bones (from extraction tools), or meconium aspiration (from fetal distress)
• Poor postpartum care and failure to monitor conditions such as jaundice and caput succedaneum which can lead to serious complications (such as kernicterus).

If You’ve Been Hurt, We Can Help

Debilitating birth injuries and associated disabling conditions (including Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy and Klumpke’s Palsy) may require significant financial resources to cover the cost of care and therapeutic treatment and to compensate for a lifetime of lost income and compromised quality of life.

Howie, Sacks and Henry’s birth injury lawyers can help you in Kitchener/Waterloo if you or a loved one has been harmed by obstetrical malpractice. Our knowledgeable and experienced team has developed the skills and expertise to handle even the most complicated and challenging cases in this complex area of law.

An HSH birth injury lawyer will be pleased to arrange a meeting with you in your own home in the Kitchener/Waterloo area or at a consultation office located conveniently nearby. We believe that distance or ability to travel should never deter you from seeking high quality care from one of Canada’s top personal injury firms.

With our strong reputation for compassionate client-centred care, you’ll soon see that you are always more than just a file in our eyes. At this difficult and overwhelmingly stressful time in your life, we will treat you with the respect, dignity and kindness you deserve.

Listening to your birth story with great empathy, we will walk you through your legal options and offer our advice on how you may want to proceed. If you choose to file a claim for compensation and damages, we’ll become your trusted supporter and advocate throughout the process.

If you or a loved one has sustained a birth injury at the hands of a negligent or incompetent medical provider, trust an HSH birth injury lawyer to be by your side and on your side in Kitchener/Waterloo. Together, we’ll work to help you access the financial resources you’ll need to ensure there are better days ahead.