How a Birth Injury Claim Works
If a medical professional was negligent and your child suffered injuries during birth, you may be entitled to compensation. The amount of compensation you receive depends on several aspects.
The lawsuit process begins by your attorney submitting a complaint against the defendants. Both sides will participate in discovery, where they exchange evidence and information, including medical records.
Medical expenses
Medical costs for a birth injury vary widely depending on the severity of the injury. Broken bones, for instance may require surgery and long-term therapy. Additionally, nerve damage caused by pressure applied manually or rough handling during the delivery could cause chronic pain and limitations. Your lawyer will analyze your child’s medical needs and determine estimated cost of treatment for the rest of his life. You will then seek sufficient compensation to cover these.
You will have to demonstrate that a healthcare professional was bound by an obligation to you, and that they breached their obligation, and that the breach caused the injuries of your child. It is often required to have medical experts review the situation and offer their opinions in light of their experiences.
Depending on the situation it is possible to name a variety of healthcare professionals and hospitals as defendants in the lawsuit. This includes the doctor who gave birth to your child, the medical assistants and the hospital the birthing room. Your legal team will write to all of these individuals to inform them that a claim for medical malpractice has been filed. They can resolve the issue without filing a lawsuit.
Suffering and pain
A birth injury lawsuit could result in the payment of compensation for physical and emotional injuries that a child suffers. The amount of damage the family is awarded is determined by the severity of the injury and the impact it has on the child’s life.
To be able to claim compensation, parents must prove that a medical professional or facility was not acting in accordance with the standards of care. This means that the physician or hospital failed to act with expertise or judgment in an instance in which their action or inaction caused the victim to suffer a medical injury. Medical experts are often engaged by both sides to help define this standard. Specialists, such as obstetricians, are held to higher standards.
Most cases involving birth injuries settle rather than going to trial. Trials can be risky, expensive and time-consuming. A settlement allows families to receive financial compensation sooner and in a more amiable way. Settlements will ensure that the needs of the future of a child are addressed. This could include the cost of a wheelchair van as well as home modifications, special equipment and ongoing medical treatment.
Punitive damages
In the case of birth injury, punitive damages can be the most severe judgment that a judge can award. They are often given to punish the perpetrator and discourage others from engaging in similar crimes. These awards are designed to convince victims that their case was considered seriously.
A New York City personal injuries lawyer can assist you in determining your claim’s value, including non-economic damages. They may also pursue a lawsuit seeking punitive damages as long as they are legal. Punitive damages are based on the conduct of the defendant and a finding of moral turpitude. They are usually four-times the other damages awarded.
A lawyer can help win you a significant sum to pay for your child’s medical expenses and other financial losses. They can also bring a lawsuit to recover emotional trauma, as well as other damages that aren’t financial. Some states place caps on the amount of compensation a victim may receive. Virginia is an example. Virginia is able to limit damages to the cost of treatment until the victim’s 10th birthday. Other states also have limits on pain and suffering and other types of damages.
Damages for non-economic damages
In many cases, a child’s injuries will cause long-term care. This can include medical treatment, therapies, and other expenses. This could include the possibility of losing future wages if an injury interferes with the child’s capacity to work and earn an income. This is known as loss of consortium.
Your lawyer will assist you estimate the full costs of your child’s injuries which includes non-economic damages. They will work with expert witnesses to build a solid case to show the extent of your child’s injuries and their effects on their life. They will also make use of expert witness testimony to prove the doctor’s lapse of duty of care.
They may also ask for access to the medical records of your child. These are vital to your case. It is crucial to obtain them as soon as you suspect a birth injury since they are frequently lost, misplaced, or destroyed. Attorneys can help you get these documents as soon as you can.
Economic damages — Damages
A birth injury may result in a range of expenses that may not be obvious at first. These costs include medical bills that have already been incurred, and also projected costs for future therapy such as in-home care, institutional care, medication, adaptive equipment, as well as transportation to and from therapist and doctor appointments.
A disability that is severe can limit the ability of an individual to earn a living. This could also impact the finances of a family. Parents might be forced to take a break from their work or quit their jobs completely to take care of a disabled child. This could lead to lost income.
Parents who file an injury claim in the birth injury lawyers should keep track of these costs and losses to determine the maximum award they could receive. When a jury or court decides to award damages, it takes into account the victim’s needs for the rest of their life. The more precise the estimate of the future medical expenses and losses, higher the amount of award will be. In addition, non-economic damages can be granted even though they are more difficult to quantify. These include emotional distress, pain and suffering as well as loss of quality of life, and loss of consortium.