Birth injury
Each year approximately 10,000 babies born in the United States develop birth injury
. Birth injury is a disorder of movement or coordination caused by an
abnormality of the brain. It is a permanent and irreversible crippling
condition affecting the central nervous system of an infant or a young child.
More than 80% of people with birth injury developed it either before they were
born or before they were one month old. In many instances, the cause of the
brain abnormality is unknown, however there are many ways in which the
negligence of a hospital delivery team can cause
birth injury during the birth process.
About half of the people who have birth injury need to use devices-such as
braces, walkers, or wheel chairs-to help them get around, and almost 70% have
other disabilities, primarily mental retardation. Depending on the severity of
their disability, people with birth injury may need assistive devices for
various tasks, specialized medical care, educational and social services, and
other help throughout their lives from both their families and communities. As
such, recovering adequate damages in those cases where the condition is caused
by negligence is vital. A recent study in California of the extra economic
costs associated with birth injury showed that the lifetime out-of-pocket cost
per new case is $503,000 (in 1992 dollars). Half of these costs are borne by
families, who often find it difficult to obtain all the services they need to
help their children. After adjusting these totals to today’s dollars, and
considering all the pain and suffering, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life,
and other related damages, it is easy to see why birth injury cases require
prosecution by an attorney who is well-versed in this tragic area of personal
injury law. The highly specialized care, therapy, and the challenges of raising
a child with birth injury involve very substantial expenditures of money, and
require an understanding of the condition, its limitations and demands, and
love, patience, indulgence and perseverance on the part of the parents and all
other members of the immediate family. Let Buchanan & Buchanan, P.L.C.
help you to determine whether your child and you may be entitled to monetary
compensation for the injuries of birth injury.
In birth injury cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to
preserve evidence, review the medical procedures in question, and to enable
physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate the birth record and
injuries. If you or a loved one is a victim of birth injury, call Buchanan & Buchanan, P.L.C.
now at (616) 458-2464 or Toll Free: (800) 272-4080 or CLICK
HERE TO SUBMIT A SIMPLE CASE FORM. The initial consultation is free of
charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee
basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary
award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay! You may have a valid claim and be
entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before
the statute of limitations expires.
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