birth injury lawyer Injury Litigation
Medical negligence during labor and delivery can result in serious birth injuries to infants. These injuries can have a long-lasting impact on the child as well as their family.
A successful lawsuit could help pay for future and current medical costs, lost wages and other damages. However it can take years to complete.
Compensation
Despite the amazing medical advancements, childbirth is still an extremely risky process. Both mothers and babies expect that doctors will act professionally and avoid blunders that could have long-lasting consequences. If your baby was injured caused by the carelessness of a medical professional or hospital, you may want to contact a New York birth injury lawyer to see what legal options you have.
If you win your claim, you will receive financial compensation. This can include future and current medical costs as well as lost wages, emotional stress and a variety of other damages. In some instances, juries and judges may also award punitive damages for an act of adversity.
Your attorney will work with a group of expert witnesses to understand what happened and establish the accepted standard of care. They will review your records and analyze the actions of the medical professionals that was present during your birth. This will assist them to build a strong case to maximize your chances of success.
Before bringing a lawsuit your lawyer will generally attempt to negotiate with the malpractice insurer. This would involve submitting a demand package, which includes a statement detailing your family’s losses and the medical evidence that supports the claims. The malpractice insurer will then make an offer. If a settlement is not reached, the lawsuit will go to trial.
Damages
The damages a plaintiff receives can be either economic (such as medical bills) or non-economic (such as pain and suffering). In many cases, juries give both. The amount of compensation the victim is awarded is based on how their injury has affected them as well as their previous and future losses. Some states also set restrictions on the amount the jury can award in non-economic damages.
To pursue compensation the plaintiff must prove that the defendant acted in breach of their duty of care. This is accomplished by a combination of medical documents as well as expert witness testimony and depositions. Medical experts are people who have specialized in a certain area of medicine. They evaluate all evidence and are able to appear in court if they are required. In birth injury cases, the expert will help establish that the defendant’s actions were against the standard of care expected from a medical professional with the same experience and training in the particular case.
In addition to medical experts, attorneys can also take the depositions of anyone who might have relevant information or a story to share. These are sworn out-of-court statements that permit attorneys to question witnesses directly about what transpired. Some depositions are conducted over the telephone or via videoconference however the majority of depositions are held in the courtroom. These conversations are often difficult and stressful, but they are essential to establishing a strong case for clients and obtaining the highest possible amount of compensation.
Statute of limitations
Like most states, New York requires that medical malpractice claims be filed within the timeframe of limitations. Parents have two and one-half years from date of an incident or birth injury lawyer omission that is believed to have led to the injury of their child to file a lawsuit.
Your attorney can review the medical records of your child to determine if any obstetricians or nurses, as well as other hospital personnel were involved in the birth of your son or daughter. The attorney can seek any relevant documents and information that may help determine the cause of your child’s injuries.
If you want to prove that there was a malpractice, your lawyer must prove that the defendant owed your child a duty and breached this duty in failing to comply with the standards of care in similar circumstances. To demonstrate this, your attorney will collaborate with medical experts to analyze the actions of a medical professional with accepted practices and procedures.
A lawyer can help locate witnesses to be able to testify in your case. These professionals can give an insight into the process used by doctors to make decisions and how a particular mistake or omission contributed to the birth injury attorney injury of your child. This information can be utilized by your lawyer in support of your compensation claim. A successful medical malpractice case involves two separate legal claims one for the child injured and one for their parents.
Expert Witnesses
Families can receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages due to time off work, birth injury lawyer rehabilitation treatments and therapies, and long-term care costs with the right support. The key to winning an injury case at birth is having the best expert witnesses on your side.
These individuals can review the evidence and offer a professional opinion on whether a medical professional has violated their duty of care when they performed an act that could have led to an infant’s injuries. They can simplify medical terms for juries or judge to comprehend.
The job of an expert witness is to provide objective medical testimony that reflects the state of medical knowledge at the time of the incident relevant to the case. This means that they should not omit any relevant information to create an opinion that is more favorable to either the plaintiff or the defendant.
Experts must also read relevant medical records and contemporary literature to make an informed decision. In certain cases, experts may be called to appear in a deposition (sworn out-of-court declaration). These meetings can be stressful, but they are an essential part of preparing for a trial. Your lawyer can help you prepare for these sessions and ensure that you are treated fairly.