Monroe Birth Injury Lawyer

Birth Injuries in Louisiana

Few things are more stressful for a new parent than realizing their child has suffered an injury because of medical negligence. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario in the United States, with as many as 6 to 8 out of every 1,000 infants suffering some type of birth injury. This amounts to a shocking 28,000 babies being born with birth injuries every year in the U.S.

If you, your child, or your loved one suffered a birth injury, either as an infant or due to maternal complications, you already know the devastating impact these injuries have. Your life or the life of your child may be forever changed—but you do not have to face this alone.

At Parker Alexander, we know that most medical professionals do everything they can to provide proper, adequate care. But when doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers fail to uphold the standard of acceptable care and innocent children suffer as a result, our team is ready to hold them accountable.

On This Page

• What Is a Birth Injury?
• Common Causes of Birth Injuries
• Determining If You Have a Case
• How Parker Alexander Can Help

For a free, no-risk consultation with one of our Monroe birth injury lawyers, please call (318) 625-6262 or contact us online today.

What Is a Birth Injury?

Commonly confused with birth defects, birth injuries are injuries that occur just before, during, or immediately after birth. Unlike birth defects, which typically involve physical and/or congenital abnormalities and are commonly caused by genetic and other factors, birth injuries are often preventable. Simply put, this means that most birth injuries result from the careless, negligent, or wrongful actions or inactions of a medical provider. This includes obstetricians, delivery room doctors, nurses, midwives, and other medical professionals involved in the birth of a child.

Some of the most common birth injuries include:

• Birth asphyxia
• Brachial plexus injuries
• Broken bones/fractures
• Cerebral palsy
• Erb’s palsy
• Facial paralysis
• Forceps/vacuum injuries
• Head and brain injuries
• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
• Nerve damage
• Oxygen deprivation
• Shoulder dystocia

These and other birth injuries can have devastating, lifelong consequences. When they occur due to a medical provider’s negligent conduct, the child’s parents can file a lawsuit against the liable party—whether the medical provider or his/her employer—and seek fair financial compensation for their child’s medical needs, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Common Causes of Birth Injuries

As previously mentioned, many birth injuries result from the careless or negligent conduct of trusted medical providers.

This negligence may take the following forms:

• Failing to diagnose/treat maternal complications, such as infections
• Failing to monitor/react to signs of fetal distress
• Failing to order an emergency cesarean section (C-section)
• Misusing assistive devices, such as forceps or vacuum extractors
• Pulling a child too forcefully or twisting the child’s head/neck during delivery
• Failing to address/control maternal blood loss during childbirth
• Failing to monitor the infant’s oxygen intake during and immediately after birth
• Medication errors, including mistakes in administering epidurals
• Surgical errors made during C-sections

These and other forms of medical negligence can cause serious injuries to infants and mothers, leading to permanent disability and, in the most severe cases, wrongful death.

Determining If You Have a Case

While every birth injury is cause for concern, not all are grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. To bring a successful claim, you will need to prove several elements.

First, you must prove that the doctor, nurse, or medical provider failed to uphold the standard of care. It is not enough to prove that your child was injured; you must show that your child was injured because the medical professional failed to provide the same standard of care one could reasonably expect from another qualified medical provider in the same or similar circumstances.

Proving these elements—along with proving that you/your child suffered measurable damages—is often very complex. It takes a legal team with the right knowledge, resources, and skills to effectively pursue a birth injury claim. At Parker Alexander, we draw on decades of legal experience, as well as a proven reputation for aggressive client advocacy, when building cases for our clients. Our Monroe birth injury lawyers often work with medical professionals who can serve as expert witnesses, confirming that a medical professional provided substandard care. Regardless of the specifics of your situation, we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of justice on behalf of your child and your family.

How Parker Alexander Can Help

We know that nothing can make up for the incredible devastation you have experienced. However, with a successful birth injury claim, you can recover critical financial resources to provide for your child and allow him or her to live a meaningful, happy life.

At Parker Alexander, our goal is to help you and your family navigate the legal process with as little stress as possible. We are here to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have. Let our team take on the negligent healthcare provider while you focus on what matters: spending time with your child and ensuring he or she receives the medical care he or she needs.

Call our office today at (318) 625-6262 or submit a free online case evaluation form to request your free consultation.