The birthing process is one of the most vulnerable times in a mother’s life, and obstetricians (OBs) are often there to supervise and provide assistance during labor and delivery. However, when something goes wrong, the OB can be held liable if they have committed an act of negligence. If you believe that you or a loved one have suffered unduly due to the negligence of an OB, book a consultation with a birth injury lawyer or a medical malpractice lawyer today.
Common obstetrical errors during the birthing process
When people file medical malpractice claims against OBs, there are usually a few common denominators. Common errors that can lead to complications during or after birth can include the failure on behalf of the OB to perform the proper testing during pregnancy in the leadup to the delivery process, or failure to provide treatment for a specific condition observed in the patient.
When it comes to the delivery room, common errors on behalf of OBs can be liable for improper handling of a surgical instrument, failure to perform a surgery like a C-section promptly, failure to use proper delivery techniques, or misinterpretation of any information shown on a fetal distress monitor.
Because of the sensitive and complex nature of the field that obstetricians work within, even the tiniest error could lead to devastating complications for the mother or her newborn. However, not all birth injuries are the fault of the OB in the room: Sometimes, other physicians or hospital employees can be at fault instead.
Compensation in obstetric malpractice suits
If you file and subsequently win a medical malpractice claim against an obstetrician, there are several different expenses for which you may be compensated, depending on the severity of the complications you were subjected to and the needs you face in your daily life as a result of this negligence.
Current and future medical expenses may be something for which you are compensated, if they are necessary to correct damages done to the child or the mother. If the mother has suffered an injury that makes her unable to work, she may be compensated for any wages lost due to this injury.
Compensation for pain and suffering itself may also be factored into the final payout to the plaintiff in suits similar to these, as well as compensation for a potential wrongful death or for any punitive damages to the defendant if the act of negligence that they committed was particularly egregious. These punitive damages would serve as an additional deterrent to stop the defendant from committing such an act and causing more harm in the future.
Obstetricians and medical malpractice
Due to the sensitive and complex nature of obstetrics, there is a very high rate of medical malpractice litigation associated with this field of medicine. Not every error that occurs during the labor and delivery process occurs due to an act of negligence, but the higher error rate leads to a higher litigation rate because there are simply more opportunities for litigation to arise.
For this reason, it is important to make sure the legal counsel you hire to represent you when filing your medical malpractice or birth injury claim is skilled and experienced when it comes to medical malpractice litigation.
Final thoughts
An experienced attorney can help you obtain the necessary medical records, find an expert to look over them for signs of negligence, and can help you fight in court for the compensation and the justice that you and your family deserve. If you believe that you or a loved one deserves compensation due to the negligence of an obstetric professional, contact a birth injury or medical malpractice attorney today and book a free consultation.
