Series of birth injury lawsuits involve single hospital

In one hospital alone, it has been alleged that negligent medical care caused the death of three separate infants during a 60 day period. In one lawsuit, the physician and medical providers are accused of not recognizing the symptoms of early labor. In another, cesarean delivery was delayed. And a failure to recognize fetal distress led to the brain injury of a newborn child that died four days later.

It is claimed that these deaths could have been avoided if proper care had been provided. Another birth injury lawsuit has also been filed against the same facility for possibly improperly using a vacuum device to deliver a child, and the child now suffers from nerve palsy.

Whether medical malpractice did actually occur in these matters will be a question for the courts. Since the records in such cases are created and kept by the hospital accused of medical negligence, it is often difficult for attorneys to collect all of the evidence needed to try these cases. Therefore, it’s generally a good idea to retain attorneys that understand the types of evidence available, and who have been involved in prior cases where hospitals have been uncooperative in turning these records over.

Birth injuries are some of the most common and, unfortunately, most devastating types of injuries involving medical malpractice. Generally, injuries like cerebral palsy and brain injury that result from negligence during a child’s delivery will likely result in a lifetime disability.

The cost of medical care alone exceeds almost everyone’s income level. Also, such children face a number of other life lasting obstacles that will need to be paid for.

Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Suits allege wrongful baby deaths at South Fulton hospital,” by Bill Rankin, Dec. 6, 2012