Our Shoulder Dystocia Lawyers Are Here to Represent You
When you go to the hospital for a birth, you expect it to be an exciting experience. You may be looking forward to welcoming the delivery of a new child, but it can be frustrating if things don’t go according to plan. One of the most common complications that could result is called shoulder dystocia.
At Wapner Newman, we know that there are significant complications that could develop if shoulder dystocia takes place. A shoulder dystonia lawyer from our local team is available to help you, and we can review your case to see if you are deserving of compensation.
Learn more about shoulder dystocia lawsuits below, and let us protect your rights and ensure your voice is heard.
Call us today to schedule a free case consultation at (215) 569-0900.
What Is Shoulder Dystocia?
First, it is important to understand what shoulder dystocia is. There is a lot of complicated geometry that has to fit perfectly for a child to be delivered successfully. If your child is not oriented correctly as he or she passes through the birth canal, a natural delivery could result in some difficulties.
For example, your child’s shoulder could get stuck on the bone of your pelvis, and it could prevent your child from being delivered properly. This is called shoulder dystocia, and if your child’s arm is stuck on your pelvis, a vaginal delivery may be difficult.
There are some situations where a C-section could be required to deliver your child, but there are other maneuvers that the doctor could use to successfully deliver your child naturally.
How Doctors Manage Shoulder Dystocia
It is not unusual for the arm of a child to get stuck on the pelvis of the mother, but there are maneuvers that doctors can use to try to deliver the baby naturally. For example, the doctor may start by placing some pressure on the uterus itself to try to force the arm downward and into the vaginal canal. Or, the doctor may try to deliver the posterior arm, which refers to delivering the back arm before the front arm. Once the back arm is out of the way, the front arm may slide down naturally, allowing for a natural delivery.
The doctor may also try to use a corkscrew maneuver. This is called the Woods maneuver, and it is known to have a high success rate. The doctor may also try to use the McRoberts maneuver to deliver your child. If all of these maneuvers fail, the doctor may decide that a C-section is necessary to deliver your child.
Improper Management Could Lead to Injuries
Things move fast in the delivery room. It is important for the doctor to manage the delivery properly, or it could result in some serious complications. For example, the doctor may end up unintentionally breaking your child’s arm while trying to deliver him or her. Or, the child could spend too much time in the vaginal canal, which could lead to the deprivation of oxygen, blood, and important nutrients. There are even situations where a bone fracture could separate some of the nerves in your child’s arm, leading to Erb’s palsy or Klumpke’s palsy.
Some of these complications could last for the rest of your child’s life, and it is important for you to work with shoulder dystocia attorneys who can investigate your case and make sure your rights are protected.
Why Choose Us to Represent You?
If you are looking for a shoulder dystocia lawyer in Philadelphia who can take your case, you might be wondering, why should you choose us?
A few reasons why you should count on us to represent you include:
- Track record: We have a long track record of successful case results, and we invite you to take a look at some of our prior verdicts and settlements. You will see that our talented shoulder dystocia lawyers have recovered significant amounts of money for our clients.
- Testimonials: We believe it is important for you to hear what our prior clients have to say as well. We invite you to take a look at some of our client reviews and ratings to learn more about what to expect if you work with us.
- Experts: We have a talented team of experts that we have worked with in the past, and we can ask them to review your case to see if they believe medical negligence has taken place.
- Compassion: We know that it can be a stressful experience if complications happen during the delivery, and we believe you should be able to focus on your medical recovery.
Count on us to handle the legal issues for you. Rely on the team at Wapner Newman.
Give us a call to schedule a free case consultation at (215) 569-0900.
What Should You Do Following a Complicated Delivery?
If there were severe complications that took place during the delivery of your child, there are several important steps you should take. These are some of them:
- Seek medical care: You need to make sure that both you and your child are properly cared for. You may need to seek a second opinion, but you should certainly make sure that your child is appropriately treated by a pediatrician who has experience in this area.
- Save the evidence: People recover quickly, and that includes babies. You need to save as much evidence as possible, and that may include taking some photographs of your child’s injuries. You should have a right to your medical records as well as those of your child, so make sure you ask for a copy of them.
- Schedule a consultation: You should also schedule a case consultation with a birth injury lawyer who has experience in this area. At Wapner Newman, it would be our honor to represent you, so reach out to us to schedule a case consultation.
You deserve to have your rights protected, and our team can make sure that happens.
How Can We Help You?
If you decide to partner with us, there are plenty of ways we can help you. Here are some of the ways our legal team can assist you:
- We can start by speaking to witnesses and requesting documents related to your case.
- We can conduct a full investigation, complete with expert witnesses. That can help us build a comprehensive case to support your claim.
- We can speak to the insurance company on your behalf to make sure you receive a favorable settlement.
- We may be able to pursue compensation that can replace any income that you may have lost, compensate you for pain and suffering, and cover all of your medical expenses.
- If we feel like the offer is not fair, we can also take your case to trial.
We understand that you need a legal guide to help you with this process, so rely on Wapner Newman.
Frequently Asked Questions
We will always take the time to answer your questions before moving forward. Some of the most common questions that people ask us include:
Why Did My Child’s Arm Get Stuck During the Delivery Process?
Some of the most common reasons why shoulder dystocia happens include a very large baby, improper alignment during the delivery process, and a small birth canal.
Did I Really Need to Have a C-section?
There are some situations where a C-section will be required, but we have a team of medical experts that can review your medical records to see if a C-section should have been avoided.
How Much Money Can You Recover for Me?
There are a lot of factors that will play a role in how much money we can recover for you. Some of the factors include the extent of your medical expenses, the income you might have lost, emotional distress you may have experienced, the resources of the hospital, and the prospect of future medical complications.
Why Should I Call an Attorney to Represent Me?
While you might think you can negotiate with the hospital or insurance company on your own, both of these entities have an army of lawyers that will do anything they can to pay you as little money as possible. You deserve to have a lawyer in your corner who can represent you as well, and that is where the Wapner Newman team can help you.
If you have more specific questions about your case, you can speak with one of our shoulder dystocia attorneys at Wapner Newman. We will be happy to answer all your questions.
Partner with Wapner Newman for a Philadelphia Shoulder Dystocia Lawyer
If you have suffered complications during your pregnancy, make sure you seek appropriate medical care as quickly as possible. Then, rely on Wapner Newman to represent you.
We have a tremendous amount of experience representing clients of all backgrounds, and we can help you if your child has been injured during the delivery process. We may be able to pursue compensation for medical expenses and lost income, so schedule a case consultation with our team today. Let us make sure your voice is heard.
Contact us today to schedule a free case consultation at (215) 569-0900.