Pregnancy is an exciting, but stressful, time for parents as they seek the best medical care for the mother and their unborn child. Obstetricians and other health care providers who treat pregnant women are charged with providing the appropriate standard of care. Unfortunately, negligent pre-natal medical care can result in devastating consequences for the mother, baby, or both.
Common Types of Pre-Natal Medical Negligence
- Diagnostic Errors. Misdiagnosis is the most common types of medical malpractice. When an obstetrician fails to timely or properly diagnose a medical condition in the mother or the fetus, serious medical complications can result.
- Labor and Delivery Injuries. Birth injuries are not as uncommon as one might think. In fact, statistics show that a birth injury occurs in 27 out of every 1,000 births. Some of the most common types of birth injuries include: brain injury, cerebral palsy, shoulder dystocia, hypoxic-ischemic encepholopathy, bone fractures, forceps injuries, subconjunctival hemorrhage, caput succedaneum, cephalohematoma, and facial paralysis. Obstetricians and other birthing staff should be able to properly monitor fetal vital signs in order to prevent any preventable birthing complications.
- Medication Errors. Both the mother and the fetus can be injured if the doctor prescribes the wrong medication or provides incorrect dosage instructions. Often times, diagnostic errors are accompanied by medication errors because the doctor is treating the wrong condition.
- Surgical errors made during C-section birth.
- Anesthesia errors, including epidural errors.
Who Can Be Liable for Pre-Natal Medical Malpractice?
The obstetric medical team – which may include obstetricians, doctors, nurses, midwives, and even anesthesiologists – are responsible for diagnosing and treatment medical conditions throughout the pregnancy and during childbirth. If the level of care deviates from the appropriate standard of medical care, the negligent medical provider could be held liable in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
In order to pursue a claim for obstetrical malpractice, the plaintiff must show that:
- The doctor or health care provider had a duty to provide appropriate medical care;
- The doctor or health care provider deviated from the appropriate standard of care; and
- The patient was injured as a direct result of the substandard medical care.
Contact a Pre-Natal Medical Malpractice Lawyer
The Chicago birth injury lawyers at Cogan & Power, P.C. are committed to providing the highest quality legal representation in an intimate and supportive environment. Our team of Chicago medical malpractice attorneys collaborates throughout every case and includes former defense lawyers, former in-house counsel at a well-respected teaching hospital, and a former obstetrical nurse, all of whom have extensive experience handling birth injury cases.
If you or your child was injured as a result of negligent pre-natal care, contact Cogan & Power at (312) 477-2500 to schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable Chicago obstetric negligence attorneys. If you cannot come to our offices in downtown Chicago, we will come to you. And because we take cases on a contingency basis, you will not pay any fee unless we get you compensation.