Bullock Ward Mason, LLC > Medical Malpractice > Birth Injury

Did you or your child suffer a birth injury because of a healthcare provider’s harmful actions or inaction? A birth injury can have devastating consequences for the rest of your or your child’s life. You shouldn’t have to bear the financial burdens caused by the life-altering effects of a birth injury. A birth injury lawyer from Bullock Ward Mason, LLC can help you pursue compensation and justice from those at fault for your or your child’s injury.

Since our founding, our female-led team has served the community through vigorous legal advocacy and a client-centric approach that empowers injury victims and their families to stand up for their rights and interests. We take the time to listen to you and understand your concerns and goals, so we can pursue legal strategies to secure the results you need. Our attorneys always provide honest, straightforward advice to empower you to make the best decisions for your family and future.

If you or your child suffered a birth injury due to the negligence of healthcare providers, the birth injury attorneys of Bullock Ward Mason, LLC are here to help. Contact us for a free initial consultation to discuss how our firm can advocate for your family’s rights and interests and help you hold negligent healthcare providers accountable for the harm and loss you have suffered.

Why Choose Bullock Ward Mason, LLC for Your Birth Injury Claim?

If you or your child suffered a birth injury because of a healthcare provider’s negligent behavior, an attorney can help your family pursue the financial relief you need. But how do you choose the right lawyer for your case? Clients consistently turn to the female-led law firm of Bullock Ward Mason, LLC for effective legal representation because:

  • We have extensive legal experience, with 40 combined years of practice, including advocating for injury victims in some of the nation’s most complex cases.
  • Our attorneys have a proven record of success, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for clients. Our results have earned us recognition from multiple legal organizations and publications, including Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
  • We utilize technology to modernize our legal services and provide clients with intelligent, innovative legal solutions.
  • We’ve organized our firm to serve clients throughout the entire process of recovery from catastrophic injuries.
  • Our compassionate, woman-led team includes attorneys with extensive healthcare experience that enables us to better represent you and your claims.

Birth Injuries Cases We Handle

At Bullock Ward Mason, LLC, we represent adults and children who have suffered life-altering injuries or health complications due to medical provider negligence during pregnancy and delivery. Contact our firm if your child has suffered a birth injury such as:

  • Caput succedaneum – A swelling of the soft tissues of the scalp sometimes caused by improper use of vacuum extractors, caput succedaneum increases the risk of jaundice, a complication that can lead to brain damage.
  • Brachial palsy – Brachial palsy causes damage to the nerve bundles that run across the chest, through the shoulders, and into the arms. It can cause a newborn to suffer numbness, weakness, or paralysis in the arms. This injury often occurs due to shoulder dystocia or a complication during delivery when the baby’s shoulders get stuck in the pelvis. The risk of injury increases due to improper use of delivery-assisting tools like forceps or vacuum extractors.
  • Cephalohematoma – A fluid buildup around the brain that can damage brain tissues, cephalohematoma may occur due to improper use of delivery-assisting equipment.
  • Cranial hemorrhage – Also known as a brain bleed, cranial hemorrhage can damage brain tissues or increase the risk of stroke.
  • Cerebral palsy – Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by brain damage resulting from insufficient blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Symptoms of cerebral palsy can include physical disabilities, vision or hearing loss, and cognitive or learning disabilities.
  • Bone fractures – Newborns may suffer broken bones during delivery, either due to the delivery team’s failure to respond promptly to complications like shoulder dystocia, improper positioning of the baby (breech birth), or the misuse of delivery-assisting tools.

Our firm also represents women who have suffered harm or complications from maternal birth injuries, such as:

  • Vaginal tears – During labor, some people experience uncontrolled tearing of the perineum, or the tissue between the vagina and the anus, especially when doctors or midwives fail to make surgical incisions that avoid the risk of tearing.
  • Postpartum hemorrhage – Uncontrolled bleeding following delivery can have life-threatening complications.
  • Inverted uterus – When the placenta fails to detach from the uterus, it can pull the uterus around, requiring manual reinsertion or surgical repair. An emergency hysterectomy might be necessary in severe cases to prevent life-threatening bleeding or complications.
  • Uterine rupture – Delivery can cause the uterus and abdominal muscles to rupture, especially if a woman previously had abdominal surgery or delivered children via cesarean section. Doctors should advise women who have had abdominal surgeries about the risks of uterine rupture with a vaginal birth and, if necessary, recommend they deliver children via cesarean section.
  • Pelvic organ prolapse – Trauma to the pelvic muscles during delivery can cause prolapse of pelvic organs, potentially requiring surgical implantation of pelvic meshes to correct the condition.
  • Nerve injuries – People may also suffer nerve injuries during delivery that affect bladder or bowel control or sexual function and sensitivity.

Birth Injury Statistics

According to studies, birth injury rates have gradually declined in recent years. However, birth injuries still occur in many deliveries. For example, cephalohematoma occurs in about 2.5 percent of deliveries, more frequently in deliveries involving forceps or vacuum extractors. Facial nerve injuries occur in about 10 out of 1,000 live births. Brachial plexus injuries occur in up to 2.5 births per 1,000 live births. Broken bone injuries can occur somewhat frequently, especially clavicular fractures, which occur in up to 15 deliveries per 1,000 live births.

Frequently Asked Questions About Birth Injury Claims

People often have questions about their legal rights following birth injuries or health complications during or after delivery. Frequent questions our clients have about birth injury claims include the following:

Not every birth injury occurs because of negligent acts by healthcare professionals. You may have a birth injury claim if you or your child suffered an injury or medical complications because your delivery team failed to follow the applicable standard of care. While the specifics of the standard of care can vary in every case, medical professionals generally must act as other providers of similar training, education, and experience would in similar circumstances. Your family may have a viable birth injury case if your healthcare provider’s behavior deviates from this standard.

The law limits the time you have to file a birth injury lawsuit. This deadline, known as the statute of limitations, requires you to file your lawsuit within a specific time after you or your child suffered a birth injury or discovered or should have discovered the injury. Each state has different statutes of limitations for birth injury claims, so contact the birth injury attorneys of Bullock Ward Mason, LLC to learn how long you have to file your lawsuit. If you file a suit after the statutory deadline, you risk losing your right to seek compensation in civil court. Our firm can help you make sure you file your claims on time.

A birth injury claim can provide your family with financial resources to recover after a birth injury. Compensation available in a birth injury claim may include money for:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
  • Costs of long-term care and support for disabilities caused by a birth injury, including home health services, special education services, or mobility/medical equipment
  • Loss of wages/income or loss of future earning capacity due to physical/cognitive disabilities
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma and distress
  • Lost enjoyment/quality of life due to disabilities, scarring/disfigurement, loss of childbearing ability, or reduced life expectancy

Any healthcare professional providing care to an expecting mother or attending the delivery of a newborn may be liable for a birth injury caused by the professional’s error. Examples of medical providers who may have responsibility for a birth injury include OB/GYNs, midwives, physician’s assistants, nurses, or ultrasound technicians.

Hiring an attorney gives you a better chance of recovering compensation for your injuries and losses. Birth injury cases often involve complex evidence and legal issues that only an experienced lawyer will understand. Your attorney can secure evidence to prepare your legal claim, including medical records, provider notes, and staffing records. Your lawyer can communicate with at-fault parties, hospital representatives, insurance adjusters, and defense attorneys on your behalf, pursuing compensation for you in a settlement. An attorney can also advocate your case in court and at trial if necessary. Legal representation can free you to focus on your or your child’s recovery.

Contact Bullock Ward Mason, LLC Today to Discuss Your Family’s Birth Injury Case

If you or your child suffered injuries or medical complications due to a birth injury, you deserve to pursue compensation and justice from the medical professionals at fault. Call Bullock Ward Mason, LLC at (833) 296-5291 today for a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your family’s legal options with our experienced, compassionate birth injury attorneys.

Bullock Ward Mason, LLC has attorneys in:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Mississippi
  • Illinois
  • Texas
  • New Mexico
  • Washington