Representing New York Mothers and Infants After Uterine Injuries
Childbirth is a remarkable experience as new life comes into the world. It is important to remember, however, that just like anything else in life, there are risks and medical professionals are trained to respond to a wide range of situations that can arise during a delivery. Uterine risks in particular can be very serious for mothers in childbirth and cause tremendous pain or even threaten the life of the mother if not handled properly. It is vital that medical professionals at a delivery know what to watch for and respond appropriately to reduce injury to mother and baby alike.
If you or a loved one has suffered uterine injuries and you believe your medical staff failed to protect you or act responsibly during childbirth, then you may have a New York medical malpractice case. These types of civil claims are very difficult to prove and require a great deal of research and work, which is why you need an experienced, knowledgeable NY birth injury lawyer on your side. Call us at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP today at (212) 986-7353 to discuss your case and talk about your options.
Are All Uterine Injuries the Result of Malpractice?
No, not all uterine injuries, or birth injuries in general, are due to medical malpractice on the part of a doctor or other medical staff. Sometimes injuries can happen even though everyone does the right thing. But a number of such injuries are avoidable, which makes the pain and suffering they cause all the more terrible. The only way to know for sure is to have knowledgeable New York lawyers and doctors look at your case and determine whether something should have been done differently to prevent your injuries.
What Is Uterine Hyperstimulation?
Uterine hyperstimulation is a complication usually associated with inducing labor that can be potentially very serious. It is defined as a single contraction that lasts 2 minutes or longer, or 5 or more contractions occurring in a 10-minute period of time. When this happens, it can cause impairment to blood flow from the mother to child, causing fetal heart rate issues and even fetal hypoxia. All of these issues put the wellbeing of the baby in danger, and is a risk for any type of induction of labor. It is important that doctors understand how to properly and safely induce labor to avoid, or at least reduce the risk of, hyperstimulation.
What Is Uterine Rupture?
Although very rare, uterine rupture during pregnancy is very dangerous to both the mother and child. A uterine rupture occurs when there is a disruption and separation of the uterine wall that can result in significant bleeding and fetal distress. A full uterine rupture in an area without previous scarring can be extremely dangerous for the mother and the baby, with potentially high morbidity rates for both. Thankfully, such ruptures occur only once in every 1,100 pregnancies.
A somewhat more common form of rupture can occur at the location of a uterine scar from a previous C-section. This type of rupture is still uncommon, but is also less dangerous than unscarred ruptures, since most C-section scars are in controlled positions on the uterus. Medical professionals should be watchful for any type of rupture and especially careful when dealing with a delivery after a previous C-section birth.
Vaginal Birth after C-Section
It has become increasingly common for women to consider a Vaginal Birth After C-section (VBAC) during a second or later pregnancy. There are certain risks with this approach, just like any pregnancy and delivery, and expectant mothers should discuss all their options with their doctors. Your doctor should explain every risk to you in any medical situation, especially pregnancy. Prior to a VBAC, you will typically agree to a Trial of Labor after Cesarean (TOLAC), which gives you and your doctor a chance to see how your labor goes and see if a VBAC will work. Any uterine injuries that occur during a VBAC may be grounds for malpractice if your doctor failed to act reasonably.
Call Us After Suffering Any Birth Injury in New York
Childbirth can be difficult and being a new mother can be a time of unimaginable highs and unexpected lows. If you or a loved one suffered a birth injury including any kind of uterine damage, just know that you are not alone. Call us today at (212) 986-7353 and speak with one of our experienced, caring attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP. Tell us what happened and we can talk about your options.
Additional Information
Our Birth Injury Case Results
$10 Million - Suit Alleging Failure to Timely Perform C-Section
WRSMH attorney 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
WRSMH attorney, 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.
WRSMH LLP
$3.9 Million - New York Birth Injury Case
Attorney 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
WRSMH 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.
WRSMH 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