Long Island Birth Injury & Trauma Lawyer
Medical Malpractice in Pregnancy, Labor, Delivery and Neonatal Care
When medical mistakes result in injury or death of a baby, there is nothing more devastating. Not only is a bright future suddenly cut short, but the financial and emotional strains of a lifetime of special care are a heavy burden for the family.
If the negligence of a physician or medical professional resulted in a birth injury or lasting harm to the mother, it is important to quickly contact a lawyer with experience in these types of cases. The law firm of The Raimondo Law Firm has represented parents across Long Island and New York City in medical malpractice cases involving a fetus or newborn. Call us at 631-471-1222 for a free case evaluation.
Prenatal Care
The obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) and supporting professionals such as ultrasound technicians have a duty to manage pregnancy and foresee likely complications of labor and delivery. Medical malpractice claims can stem from:
- Failure to identify birth defects, especially those correctable by pre-term surgery
- Failure to diagnose gestational diabetes or preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure) in the mother
- Failure to identify an incompetent cervix or detached umbilical cord
- Failure to stave off premature birth through tocolytic drugs
- Failure to identify and treat fetal distress
Labor and Delivery
The actions (or inaction) of doctors and nurses in the maternity ward or delivery room are the greatest cause of birth injury or infant death:
- Not recognizing fetal distress via fetal heart monitors
- Ill-advised vaginal birth (baby too big, prior complicated births)
- Failure to perform a timely C-section, resulting in cerebral palsy or other brain damage
- Shoulder dystocia (stuck in the birth canal), resulting in Erb’s palsy, Klumpke’s palsy or other permanent nerve damage to the baby’s limbs
- Head trauma or injury from improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction
- Malpractice in Neonatal and Post-Partum Care
- Premature infants are especially at risk for respiratory problems, jaundice and infections, but all newborns and mothers in recovery must be closely monitored for signs of distress. Birth injury and malpractice claims may arise from:
- Failure to administer steroids to improve lung function of premature babies
- Kernicterus (brain damage from elevated levels of bilirubin)
- Hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding) of the mother
- Failure to place a distressed newborn in intensive care
- Prematurely discharging infants or mothers
- Pursuing Damages for Birth Injury
The Raimondo Law Firm has 30 years of experience in medical malpractice litigation. He is very familiar with the standards of care and how to investigate birth trauma cases. In building a case for compensation, he questions all staff involved in treatment or childbirth and examines whether hospital protocols were followed.
We work prove the negligence and to ensure that compensation covers a lifetime of expensive special needs care (surgery, physical therapy, nursing care) and the emotional trauma of a birth injury or “wrongful birth.”
Contact our Lake Grove law firm for a free initial consultation. We can meet clients evenings or weekends, and our staff is fluent in Spanish and Greek. We take cases on a contingency basis — we pay for the experts needed to prove liability and we receive attorney fees only if we secure compensation through settlement or verdict.
