Birth Injury Lawsuits Protect Victims of Umbilical Cord Injuries
The umbilical cord is the lifeline for a developing child in the womb. The umbilical cord carries blood, oxygen, and nutrients from mother to child and back again. A fetus cannot survive or adequately develop without the healthy function of the umbilical cord. Unfortunately, umbilical cord injuries and complications can occur during pregnancy, threatening the development and life of the child. Prenatal medical professionals are trained to detect these conditions and remedy them. Failure of a physician to take appropriate action when these conditions occur is a type of medical negligence.
If your child has suffered injury or died due to umbilical cord complications, you may be able to pursue compensation for certain damages. Doctors and medical facilities carry extensive malpractice insurance policies and their insurers employ armies of attorneys who try to diminish their party’s liability in malpractice claims. In order to secure the settlement you and your family deserves, you will need the representation of an experienced New York City birth injury attorney.
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP has been successfully representing birth injury victims and their families for over 50 years. Call us today at (212) 986- 7353 for a free consultation.
What Are Some Types of Umbilical Cord Injuries?
Umbilical cord complications can cause fetal distress in several ways, including:
- Nuchal cord: When the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around the fetus’s neck. This can cut off the air supply to the brain, resulting in brain damage and possible strangulation.
- Cord compression: This occurs when blood flow through the umbilical cord is impeded for some reason. This could be a knot in the cord or the cord becoming pinched between mother and fetus. This can result in developmental impairment of the child.
- Cord prolapsed: This occurs when the umbilical cord descends into the birth canal during labor and becomes pinched, resulting in restricted blood flow in the cord. This puts both the mother and the child at risk if uncorrected.
What Are Treatment Options for Umbilical Cord Issues?
When a delivery doctor recognizes an issue with the umbilical cord, they can take several steps to remedy the problem. These steps may include:
- Performing a Cesarean section delivery
- Administering oxygen and IV fluid to compensate for the reduced amount the fetus is getting
- Turning the mother on her side to relieve the compression of the cord
- Temporarily stopping contractions and allowing the child to recover its heart rate and breathing
- Manually unwrapping the umbilical cord from the child's neck
- Delivery by forceps or vacuum method
What Compensation May Be Available for Umbilical Cord Injuries?
If your child has suffered an umbilical cord injury, they may face a lifetime of difficulties. A medical malpractice settlement can help pay for such costs as:
- Future medical treatments
- Special schooling
- Assisted living care
- Household and vehicle modifications
- Lost income if a parent has to stop working to care for the child
- Pain and suffering
In the unfortunate case where an umbilical cord injury results in the death of a child, these wrongful death damages may apply:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Pain and suffering of the deceased before they died
- Medical bills incurred before death
Free Consultation with a NY Birth Injury Attorney
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP, wehope you never need our services, rest assured our NY fetal distress lawyers will be there if you should ever need us. Just call (212) 986- 7353 for a free consultation.
Additional Information
Our Birth Injury Case Results
$10 Million - Suit Alleging Failure to Timely Perform C-Section
WRSH Partner Philip Russotti obtained a $10 Million mediation settlement for failure to timely perform a Cesarean Section. The case was venued in Orange County, NY.
Philip Russotti
$6 Million - New York Birth Injury
WRSH Partner, Phil Russotti, obtained a $6 million settlement for our client whose child suffered severe brain damage during birth.
Philip Russotti
$4.75 Million - New York Fetal Distress
We claimed that the baby should have been delivered by emergency C-Section or forceps delivery. He was ultimately diagnosed with cerebral palsy and spastic quadriparesis.
WRSH LLP
$3.9 Million - New York Birth Injury Case
Partner Philip Russotti argued that as a result of this negligence, the child suffered hypoxia which resulted in mild retardation, severe ADHD and social isolation as well as difficulties with fine motor skills.
Philip Russotti
$1.3 Million - Infant-Plaintiff Suffered Brachial Plexus Injury at Birth
WRSH obtained a $1,300,000 jury verdict, after a three week medical malpractice trial in Staten Island, on behalf of a 6-year-old girl who suffered a brachial plexus injury known as Erb's palsy.
WRSH LLP
$1.08 Million - Injuries Sustained by Baby Girl at Birth
We claimed that the hospital was negligent for not intervening and performing a cesarean section in light of the mother's failure to adequately progress in labor.
Clifford Shapiro