BIRTH INJURIES IN Pottstown

How Our Birth Injury Lawyers in Pottstown, PA, Work for You

Why Choose Us?

Medical malpractice victims need an advocate who understands the complexities of medical malpractice cases and who knows how to fight to win. At Wapner Newman, we have helped clients recover millions of dollars from medical providers who have harmed them or the ones they love.

We know medical malpractice injuries are overwhelming. We work diligently to get you the funds that will help relieve some of your suffering.

We handle everything at Wapner Newman, including:

• Investigating the circumstances of your injuries
• Identifying the parties at fault
• Managing claims-related paperwork
• Consulting with medical and financial planning experts
• Aggressively pursuing compensation from insurance companies.

Throughout the whole process, we keep you up to date on the progress of your claim and always consult you when necessary. You can rely on our award-winning team to fiercely guard your interests until the end, just as we have for many others.

Call us at (215) 569-0900 for a free consultation. Speak with an experienced birth injury lawyer today!

Our Birth Injury Lawyer Must Prove Negligence

Beyond Simple Errors

Medical malpractice attorneys must demonstrate that their client was injured by more than just a simple error or by a mistake that anyone could have made. The injurious action must be considered negligent within the context of medical providers providing birthing services.

Put another way, the error must be something that no reasonable healthcare provider would have ever committed under the same conditions.

Common examples of birth injury negligence include:

• Improper use of birthing instruments
• Improper fetal and mother monitoring
• Failure to provide timely treatment for a condition
• Use of improper equipment
• Inadequate supervision
• Anesthesia errors
• Unintended trauma.

When it’s time to present your case, your attorney will have identified one or more instances of birth injury malpractice. But before your case can proceed, your birth injury lawyer must first obtain a “Certificate of Merit” stating that the birthing injuries indeed were caused by malpractice. This certificate must be completed by a qualified medical professional.

What Are Some Signs of a Birth Injury?

Contact a Top Pottstown Birth Injury Lawyer Today for Help

Several different signs can indicate a birth injury. For example, the baby may be born with a head or neck deformity, or there may be bruising or swelling around the head or face. In some cases, the baby may also have difficulty breathing and may need to be placed on a ventilator.

Additionally, the baby may exhibit neurological problems such as seizures, paralysis, spasms, or sensitivity to light. Birth injuries can have a wide range of causes, including medical negligence and malpractice, so it is important to seek the counsel of an experienced birth injury lawyer in Pottstown to develop a legal plan to help get compensation for your child’s birth injuries.

Damages Awarded in Birth Injury Cases in Pottstown

You are entitled to pursue various damages in birth injury cases. Economic damages address the financial impacts a birth injury has had on your life and the life of your child. They include:

• Lost future wages
• Medical bills
• Funeral and burial costs.

You are also entitled to non-economic damages. Non-economic damages compensate intangible losses, such as:

• Pain and suffering of the child
• Disfigurement and scarring
• Loss of ability to enjoy life.

If the healthcare provider engaged in outrageous behavior, such as conduct with an evil motive or conduct that showed a disregard for the safety of others, the victim may also seek punitive damages.

Settlement Amounts

In the end, settlement amounts vary widely in birth injury cases. Much depends on the seriousness of the injury. But other factors enter into play, such as the availability of evidence and the skill and experience of the lawyer you choose.

Birth Injuries FAQ

Common Questions for Our Birth Injury Attorneys in Pottstown, PA

Birth injuries are upsetting and confusing. We are here to answer any questions you have, in addition to the common questions that follow.

Do I need an attorney for my birth injury claim?

If you are seeking the highest compensation for your birth injury case, you will hire an attorney to fight for you. Without a birth injury attorney, your odds of getting maximum compensation are low. Birth injury attorneys know how to compel insurance companies to pay more than they would to medical malpractice victims without representation.

How much do birth injury attorneys in Pottstown, PA, charge?

Birth injury attorneys in Pottstown, PA, charge clients using a contingency fee model. Attorney’s fees are not collected until the case is resolved and are based on a percentage of the final settlement or verdict total. If the total is zero, the client pays nothing. A typical percentage range for medical malpractice cases in Pennsylvania is 25% to 40%.

What is the statute of limitations for birth injuries in PA?

It depends. In most cases involving personal injury, the statute of limitations is two years. However, for the injured child, the statute of limitations does not start running until the child turns 18. They will then have two years to take action.

What are some symptoms of a birth injury?

Within hours or a few days after childbirth, babies with traumatic birth injuries may show the following symptoms:

• Low Apgar scores (skin color, pulse rate, reflexes, muscle tone, respiratory effort)
• Inability to nurse or take a bottle (latch reflex)
• Labored breathing
• Inability to move arms or legs
• Seizures
• Inability to swallow
• Vomiting
• Light sensitivity.

Spasms are also common symptoms of a birth injury.

What are some birth injury symptoms for toddlers?

Between the ages of two weeks and two years, babies and young toddlers with birth injuries may show the following symptoms:

• Speech difficulties
• Sleep problems
• Unable to gain weight
• Feeding problems
• Cognitive delays
• Lack of coordination.

Trauma from a birth injury can have a significant impact on a child’s development and well-being. If your child is displaying any of these symptoms, it is important to seek the guidance of a birth injury attorney in Pottstown right away.

Are my child’s injuries the result of negligence?

Negligence occurs when a doctor’s conduct falls below the standard of care to avoid an injury. The test is, how would a doctor have acted and what precautions would a doctor have taken when faced with the same or similar situation? Doctors have a duty to exercise great care when delivering babies. If a doctor, nurse, or a member of the hospital medical staff fails to uphold their duty of care and causes a birth injury, then the injury is due to their negligence.

The following are some examples of negligence-related birth injuries:

• Improper training
• Inexperience
• Poor communication
• Failure to perform prepartum tests
• Failure to interpret the heart monitor.

When these types of traumatic birth injuries are caused by the negligence of a doctor or another healthcare provider, the family may be able to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for the resulting damages.

Please feel free to call for more answers. Our attorneys are standing by to help.

Get Help from Our Birth Injury Attorneys in Pottstown

If your child has suffered a birth injury, you may have many questions about your legal rights and options. The experienced attorneys at Wapner Newman can advise you of your rights.

Birth injury cases can be very involved, and it is important to have knowledgeable legal counsel on your side. Our Pottstown birth injury lawyers have successfully represented many clients in birth injury cases, and we can help you understand the potential for a positive outcome in your case.

Contact us today by calling 215-569-0900 or using our contact form to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced birth injury lawyers.