What Does a Birth Injury Attorney Do?

Birth Injury Attorneys can help a family obtain financial compensation for medical bills, future care costs, and pain and suffering. They work to build a strong case by gathering evidence such as medical records and bills, working with medical experts, and filing the appropriate lawsuits.

The first step is to prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care. This is done by establishing the standard of care for the circumstances.

An experienced birth injury attorney can help you determine if your child’s injuries were caused by medical malpractice, file the necessary paperwork with the court of law, and gather evidence to prove medical negligence. They can also help you build a life care plan to ensure your child’s future needs are met.

Birth injuries can result in expensive medical bills and put a strain on your family’s finances. A lawyer can help you obtain financial compensation by filing a lawsuit against the responsible doctor or hospital. This compensation can include damages for your child’s medical expenses, loss of income due to their condition, rehabilitation costs, and other losses.

A lawsuit may also award punitive damages to the defendant. These are designed to punish the negligent party and deter others from committing similar acts in the future. However, to receive these damages, your New York birth injury lawyer will need to demonstrate that the doctor acted knowingly or recklessly.

Many families are concerned about the cost of a birth injury attorney, but it is important to note that personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys usually work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you do not have to pay them anything upfront to take on your case and they only collect a fee if they win a settlement or verdict for you. This fee is typically a percentage of the total award amount.

Damages

Your lawyer will help you file the lawsuit, investigate and collect evidence, make a case for negligence, and represent you in settlement negotiations or at trial. They will also help you secure financial compensation for your family’s losses. This can include medical expenses, therapy and treatment costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and a diminished quality of life.

To win a birth injury claim, you must be able to show that a medical professional violated their duty of care by making a mistake during labor and delivery. This can include anything from failing to diagnose fetal distress to performing a C-section too late.

A good attorney will be able to establish a breach of duty through expert witness testimony, medical records, and other relevant evidence. They will determine what type of damage award you should receive, including lifetime treatment costs, lost income, and a decreased quality of life.

Medical malpractice cases can be challenging and time-consuming. Without the experience of a skilled legal team, you could end up receiving a low-ball settlement offer or not even get a settlement at all. An experienced lawyer will know how to negotiate with insurers and avoid the pressure tactics they use. They will also coordinate with medical experts to truly understand the nature of your child’s injuries and your family’s needs. This allows them to make a stronger and more persuasive case for damages.

Defendants

Many birth injuries become apparent when the child fails to reach developmental milestones or has other physical or intellectual deficits. Parents may also discover that the infant requires special care in the form of admission to a NICU, CT scans or MRIs. Even without obvious symptoms, medical professionals must meet the accepted standard of care during labor and delivery to prevent serious injury.

A birth injury attorney can help you identify possible malpractice claims and build a strong case by reviewing medical records, interviewing witnesses and consulting with experts in the field. He or she can then write to the medical providers involved in your baby’s birth to notify them of the claim and ask for a response. Medical providers usually have malpractice insurance, which an injury lawyer can use to negotiate a settlement.

A medical malpractice lawsuit depends on proving four main elements: the provider-patient relationship, adherence to the standard of care, breach of that standard, and causation. Detailed medical records, hospital policies, witness statements and videos can all contribute to a strong claim. An injury lawyer can also understand the strategies insurers use to avoid paying fair settlement amounts and counter them with a strong legal argument. In many cases, medical negligence claims settle out of court because trials can be risky, time-consuming and stressful for a family. A successful claim can provide funds to cover future expenses, replace lost wages and compensate for a child’s injuries or death.

Experts

A birth injury attorney is a lawyer who specializes in cases where medical professionals’ negligence or malpractice during the labor and delivery process causes harm to a baby or mother. They have the knowledge, resources and experience necessary to help families receive the compensation they deserve.

A good birth injury attorney can provide medical and financial experts to help establish a link between the at-fault party’s actions and the injury. They can also build a case to demonstrate the physical, emotional and financial damages sustained by a child and their family as a result of the medical error.

When determining whether doctors and other treatment professionals breached their duty of care in your or your baby’s case, the court will look at their actions in light of medical guidelines and protocols that are generally followed in the field. The lawyer’s ability to identify any deviations from these guidelines will be a critical component of their argument in support of your claim.

When evaluating an attorney, ask about their previous successes in medical malpractice claims, especially those involving birth injuries. While each case is decided on its own merits, a consistently high number of substantial settlements and verdicts can be a promising indicator that an attorney is well equipped to handle your claim. Many lawyers will discuss their most significant achievements on their website or blog. They may also have case studies available for you to review.

Mediation

When medical mistakes during childbirth result in long-lasting and debilitating injuries, it can affect the entire family. These injuries often cause financial stress from medical expenses and loss of income. This is why a birth injury attorney can help recover damages to cover these costs and more.

A good birth injury attorney will know how to evaluate your case and determine whether or not it has merit. They can then help gather evidence, identify expert witnesses, and propose a settlement amount. They can also represent you in court if a settlement cannot be reached through negotiations.

The level of experience an attorney has can make a difference in the success of your case. A lawyer with more experience is likely to have a better understanding of relevant laws, recent court cases and civil procedures.

Insurance companies try to pressure families into settling for less than their case is worth. A skilled birth injury attorney can hold insurers accountable and present a strong case that reflects the full extent of your losses. They can also keep the pressure on by filing a lawsuit to force an unfair insurer to offer a fair settlement. By doing so, they can help your family obtain the resources you need to support your injured child throughout their lifetime. This can include ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation therapy and replacement of lost earnings. These expenses can be astronomical and should not have to be borne by your family alone.

Trial

A birth injury attorney is skilled in constructing legal arguments that support each of the four elements of a medical malpractice claim. This includes demonstrating that the defendant owed you a duty, that they breached that duty, that their breach directly caused your child’s or mother’s injuries, and that you suffered damages as a result of their breach.

Defending a medical malpractice case can be complex and requires the assistance of expert witnesses. This is why it is important to find a firm that works with experienced attorneys and staff who are familiar with the specialized field of birth injury law. Expert witnesses are typically physicians who have special training in the area of medicine involved in your case. They can provide medical guidelines and protocols that would be followed by other health care professionals in the same or similar fields.

Once your lawyer has obtained your medical records, they will review and identify evidence that supports the claim of medical negligence. This is usually done through expert witness consultations and examinations. If the expert agrees that medical negligence occurred your lawyer will file a lawsuit against the appropriate defendants which may include the doctor, nurses, and hospital involved in your delivery.

Many families impacted by a birth injury experience financial hardship. In most cases, an experienced birth injury attorney will not require upfront payment for their services. Instead, they will advance all expenses related to the case and only receive a fee if they are able to recover a settlement or award on your behalf.