Illinois readers who are parents can understand what it’s like when you are eagerly awaiting the birth of your child. When a child suffers birth injuries during the delivery it can be devastating. This is the case for the Illinois parents of a baby who suffered an Erb’s palsy birth injury in November of 2011. The disabling condition is characterized by weakness in the hands and upper arms.
The couple has since filed a lawsuit against the hospital and the doctors that delivered the baby. The suit charges that medical negligence caused “irreversible injuries,” to the baby. According to the report, the medical professionals who assisted with the delivery failed to recognize that the infant was experiencing shoulder dystocia. The term describes a situation in which an infant’s head becomes lodged behind the mother’s public bone during delivery.
The lawsuit claims that not only did the defendants not recognize that shoulder dystocia had happened, but failed to follow hospital protocol and alternative maneuvers in a timely manner. Instead, the lawsuit claims that the doctor negligently applied traction to the infant’s head and neck instead of performing a C-section, which is protocol when other maneuvers are unsuccessful.
The parents are seeking $50,000 in damages claiming that the child’s irreversible injuries are a result of medical malpractice. Because there is no telling what kind of medical care the child will need in the future, obtaining compensation in a medical malpractice suit will help the family to provide their child with the medical care necessary.
Source: Injury Lawyer News, “Lawsuit Claims Baby’s Erb’s Palsy Caused by Medical Negligence,” Tracy Ray, May 31, 2012
