Shoulder Dystocia Birth Injuries

Shoulder Dystocia Birth Injury Attorney in the Baltimore, MD Area

A mom holding her little baby's hand after childbirth. If your baby sustained a shoulder dystocia birth injury our birth injury attorney in Baltimore has the skills required to help seek compensation.As any parent knows, as children grow and develop, there are many potential areas of concern—especially when it comes to the overall health and wellness of your child. In some cases, unfortunately, there is cause for concern that begins with the birth of the child. Labor and birth injuries are more common than many people think, and though they vary in severity, birth injuries have the ability to alter your child’s life forever. Shoulder dystocia is one such injury, and it can have a permanent effect on your child. If your child experiences shoulder dystocia as a part of a mishandled birth procedure, it is crucial to contact a birth injury lawyer in Maryland right away.

What Is Shoulder Dystocia?

Shoulder dystocia is a birth injury condition that occurs when an infant’s shoulder becomes caught on the mother’s pelvic bones during birth. This is always a medical emergency, as it can lead to myriad problems, including: 

  • Cerebral palsy
  • Erb’s palsy
  • Nerve damage
  • Lack of oxygen that leads to brain damage or death of the infant
  • Infant bone fractures

While each of these effects can vary in severity, shoulder dystocia is extremely serious for the fragile body of a newborn. It is imperative to contact a birth injury attorney in Baltimore Maryland if you suspect that your child has suffered one of the above conditions due to shoulder dystocia.

When Does Shoulder Dystocia Occur?

There are many situations that can cause shoulder dystocia, and most of them are preventable by trained medical professionals. In fact, your labor and delivery team has a duty to uphold the standard of care necessitated by the birth process. If the medical professionals present for your labor and delivery fail to uphold this standard of care, take negligent actions that lead to shoulder dystocia, and cause damages as a result of these actions, a medical malpractice lawyer can help you hold them responsible. Causes of shoulder dystocia include:

  • Induced labor, which can cause the baby to descend in to the birth canal too quickly
  • Forceps or vacuum use during vaginal birth
  • Lack of training or experience in the birth team 
  • Failure to perform a cesarean in a situation that warranted one

Though there are other potential contributing factors to shoulder dystocia, including the baby’s weight and size, the above are all situations in which you may be eligible for compensation from your medical provider.

The Effect of Shoulder Dystocia on the Mother

The infant is not the only party who can be harmed when shoulder dystocia occurs. These cases can also have profound physical consequences for the mother, not to mention the emotional pain that accompanies a suffering child. When the child’s shoulders catch on the pubic bone, the mother may experience: 

  • Hemorrhaging after birth
  • Perineum tearing
  • Uterine damage
  • Hysterectomy 

Some of these situations can be life-endangering for the mother, and others can cause extreme pain or lasting issues. In addition, all can cause the need for extended medical care and the associated expenses. It is essential to remember that birth injuries often do not only impact infants, but mothers as well. Our Baltimore area labor and delivery error lawyers can pursue compensation for damages that affect the mother, infant, or both.

Should I Seek Compensation for Medical Malpractice? 

Seeking financial recovery for your damages is one of the best ways you can protect your family from further harm. Many labor and delivery injuries have lasting effects, most of which involve expensive medical treatment and procedures. If you or your child have lasting injuries from shoulder dystocia that were caused by medical negligence, you can pursue compensation for current and future medical costs, missed wages if the mother cannot return to work, and even pain and suffering on the part of both mother and child. However, this can only be done with the help of a medical malpractice lawyer. 

Do I Need a Baltimore Birth Injury Attorney?

If you believe your healthcare provider violated their duty to provide the standard of care and caused shoulder dystocia, it is in your best interest to hire a birth injury attorney in Baltimore right away. Hospitals and medical providers do everything in their power to avoid accepting fault for such injuries and often engage in practices that could cause you to unknowingly waive your rights before you have time to build a case. For this reason, it is best to call our experienced attorneys as soon as possible after your child experiences shoulder dystocia or another birth injury.

The legal procedures necessary to pursue a successful medical malpractice claim are not simple. Any error in your initial documents could cause your claim to be dismissed before it is even heard by the court, and proving negligence similarly requires insight by someone with deep knowledge of the process. Your personal injury lawyer in Baltimore, MD can ensure you meet each requirement for a successful claim and arrange for expert medical testimony to describe the standard of care and demonstrate the negligence involved in your child’s injury.

Peter Angelos Law Firm: Your Baltimore, MD Shoulder Dystocia Lawyers 

For a Baltimore, MD birth injury attorney you can trust, you need Peter Angelos Law Firm. We have years of experience pursuing medical malpractice and birth injury cases throughout  Maryland state-wide, including shoulder dystocia. Our deep knowledge and compassionate representation can help you achieve the compensation you need for recovery. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and receive free answers to your shoulder dystocia questions.