RIVERSIDE
BIRTH INJURY ATTORNEYS

Having a child should be a joyous occasion, but for many families, birth injuries can lead to feelings of dread and worry for the child’s future. According to one study in the National Institutes of Health, “The incidence of birth injury is known to be about 2% for normal vaginal delivery and 1% for cesarean delivery. According to the latest statistics in the USA, it is known that birth injury occurs in about 25.3 to 31.1 cases per 1000 hospital births.” Head injuries are the most common type of injury to newborns during childbirth.

These injuries can leave children with lifelong disabilities and cognitive impairments. Families often have to go to great lengths to accommodate and raise children who sustain birth injuries. If your family has experienced such a tragedy, it’s essential that you seek legal support as early as possible. An attorney can help recover compensation from negligent parties so that your child can get the best care possible.

The Riverside birth injury attorneys at Samer Habbas & Associates are here to support you. We are committed to helping victims and holding hospitals accountable for their misconduct. You can reach out to us anytime for a risk-free consultation at (949) 727-9300.

What are Birth Injuries?

Birth injuries are the result of physical trauma that occur during the process of labor and delivery. By contrast, birth defects are typically caused by genetics or environmental factors that occur before the birth of a child.

• Cerebral Palsy: This is a neurological disorder that is the result of damage to the brain of a child, either during or shortly after birth. It may occur as a result of oxygen deprivation during delivery. Cerebral palsy primarily affects the motor skills, muscle tone, and coordination of the newborn. Injuries can range from mild mobility problems to serious physical and intellectual disabilities. Though there is no cure for cerebral palsy, early intervention and certain therapies can dramatically improve a child’s quality of life.
• Brachial Plexus Injuries (Erb’s Palsy): Erb’s palsy is a brachial plexus injury that is the result of major damage to the network of nerves in a child’s arms, hands, or shoulders. This injury usually occurs during delivery, especially if the doctor applies too much pressure to the newborn’s head or shoulder. Symptoms may include weakness or paralysis in the affected arm. These injuries can improve with physical therapy, but severe trauma may also result in a permanent disability.
• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy is caused by oxygen deprivation and restricted blood flow to a child’s brain during or shortly after delivery. The lack of oxygen can damage key brain cells, potentially causing long-term neurological damage. Newborns affected by HIE may have difficulty breathing or seizures shortly after birth. Therapeutic hypothermia is known to reduce potential brain damage and improve outcomes.
• Skull Fractures or Head Trauma: Skull fractures and head trauma are among the most serious injuries that a child can sustain during delivery. These injuries can be caused by the aggressive use of delivery instruments such as forceps and vacuum extractors. Symptoms can include seizures and poor feeding. The treatment for head trauma will normally depend on injury severity and may include surgery.

The vast majority of birth injuries are preventable. They tend to involve systemic failures within any hospital setting as opposed to the wrongful actions of a single person.

The Impact of Birth Injuries

The impact of a birth injury can extend far beyond an initial diagnosis. It can be hard on everyone, especially the child’s parents. Families whose child has sustained a birth injury can face numerous difficulties.

• Emotional Distress: It can be heartbreaking for parents to watch their newborn struggle with developmental and physical challenges. In many cases, parents have to watch their children grow into a world that all too often leaves them behind.
• Financial Strain: The costs of ongoing medical care, therapy, and specialized equipment can place an enormous strain, even on families that are very well off. According to Northwestern University, the cost to treat many brain injuries can be several million.
• Long-Term Challenges: Children with severe birth injuries often have developmental challenges. They may require lifelong care and face limited independence when they become adults.

These challenges underscore how important it is for hospitals to use extreme caution in order to prevent birth injuries. They also help demonstrate how important it is for families to seek compensation to alleviate the financial burdens that come with caring for a child with birth injuries.

How Can a Birth Injury Attorney Help?

Navigating the complexities of a birth injury requires working with someone who has expertise in the medical and legal fields. Our Riverside birth injury attorneys have this expertise and can assist in a number of different ways.

• Investigating Medical Records: One of the tasks that an attorney can help with is investigating all of the medical records related to your case. This can help them identify potential errors or negligence that may have caused the injury.
• Building a Strong Case: An attorney can collect all of the evidence related to your case and work with medical experts in the field in order to demonstrate liability. They can present a compelling narrative of how an injury has impacted both your family and your child.
• Pursuing Compensation: The most important role that a birth injury lawyer can take is negotiating with insurance companies in order to secure fair compensation. Victims are entitled to compensation for medical expenses related to past, ongoing, and future medical care. They can also recover for pain and suffering and lost income due to caregiving responsibilities.

Most cases will settle out of court. But if a hospital and their insurance providers are not willing to offer a fair settlement, an attorney can take your case to trial.

Why Choose Samer Habbas & Associates?

Our legal team at Samer Habbas & Associates is committed to providing all clients with exceptional and compassionate legal care. There are several reasons to choose us to help with your birth injury case.

• Decades of Experience: Our attorneys have decades of experience helping people with their birth injury and medical malpractice claims. We leverage that experience to help our clients get the best outcomes possible.
• Proven Results: Our Riverside birth injury lawyers have a proven track record of obtaining significant verdicts and settlements. This includes numerous multi-million dollar awards for our clients.
• Compassionate Support: We understand how traumatic it can be to have your newborn child harmed by a birth injury. Our law firm offers personalized and client-focused representation that always puts your interests first.
• Extensive Resources: You can rest assured knowing that our firm has extensive legal, medical, and financial resources. We are well-equipped to handle even the most complex and difficult cases.

You also do not have to worry about paying our attorneys anything up-front. Our law firm operates entirely off of a contingency fee basis. This means that we only get paid by the opposing party if we are able to successfully resolve your claim.

Steps to Take If You Suspect a Birth Injury

If you believe that your child may have suffered a birth injury as a result of medical negligence, it is crucial that you act quickly to preserve your rights.

• Seek Medical Attention: If your child is showing symptoms of a birth injury, including poor feeding or seizures, seek medical attention immediately. Any delay in medical care can dramatically worsen the injury.
• Preserve Evidence: Keep all of the medical records and documents related to the delivery and follow-up care for your child. This can be crucial to demonstrating medical negligence.
• Document Everything: Track all medical expenses related to the birth injury. This includes costs for therapy, equipment, and other related expenses. Also take note of the time that you’ve needed to spend away from work.
• Consult an Attorney: Speak with a Riverside birth injury lawyer. They can evaluate your case free of cost and help you understand your legal options.

Don’t be surprised if you run into roadblocks or delays while trying to get information about your child’s injury at the hospital. These institutions often will not be

Contact Samer Habbas & Associates Today

It can be hard to know where to begin after learning that a child has sustained a birth injury. Every parent wants to give their child a better life, but the complications for an injury at birth can make this an incredibly difficult prospect. An attorney can take tangible steps to improve the life of your child and family by holding the parties responsible for the injury accountable for their actions.

Has your child sustained a birth injury due to medical negligence? You may be entitled to substantial compensation. Our team of Riverside birth injury lawyers at Samer Habbas & Associates can help you through this difficult time. We care deeply that the children and families affected by birth injuries are given all the support that they need to move forward. Whether you just have legal questions or would like a risk-free investigation into your situation, we are here for you. You can contact our office anytime at (949) 727-9300.

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