OBGYN malpractice is a leading cause of preventable infant and maternal injuries in the United States. These devastating medical mistakes often turn the happiest moment of your life into a tragedy. Our compassionate malpractice lawyers understand the heartbreak, hardships, and financial difficulties usually associated with birth trauma.
At Ginsberg & O’Connor, our dedicated malpractice attorneys have recovered compensation for hundreds of New Jersey families. Many families suffer lasting consequences from OBGYN malpractice and hospital errors. We work closely with them to clarify what happened and to pursue the compensation required to meet their children’s ongoing medical and developmental needs.
Birth Injuries Resulting from OBGYN Malpractice
Childbirth is a beautiful but dangerous process, even with today’s medical advancements. Pregnancy often requires constant monitoring by OBGYNS who must make informed decisions in high-risk cases. When women go into labor, negligent obstetricians, maternity ward nurses, and their employers may be held accountable for the following birth injuries caused by medical malpractice:
- Cerebral Palsy
- Fractures
- Erb’s palsy
- Klumpke’s palsy
- Shoulder dystocia
- Hypoxic brain injuries
Birth mothers can also suffer from life-threatening injuries when doctors fail to perform timely C-sections in high-risk cases, including when they begin showing signs of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and internal bleeding.
Common Obstetrics and Maternity Ward Errors in New Jersey
Although not every birth injury involves medical malpractice claims, the following maternity ward mistakes often support medical negligence litigation against the attending OBGYN, nurses, and hospital.
Wrong Delivery Position/Umbilical Cord Compression
When nurses do not place laboring mothers in the correct birthing position, this may cause the mother severe nerve damage during labor. It can also narrow the birth canal, potentially causing your child’s brain injuries if the umbilical cord is compressed during delivery.
Improper Use of Delivery Tools and Excessive Force
When doctors and nurses improperly use forceps, vacuums, and excessive birth force to deliver the child, it often involves pulling too hard on the child’s shoulders and arms. This can cause severe shoulder nerve injuries and clavicle fractures, impacting the entire limb.
Failing to Diagnose Serious Conditions
Busy maternity wards in South Jersey, such as the one at Virtua Voorhees Hospital, often lack the staff to monitor patients continuously. This is no excuse for medical neglect. Mothers may quickly develop potentially fatal conditions, including preeclampsia, requiring an immediate C-section. This negligence may result in serious injuries to both the mother and child.
C-Section Mistakes
Doctors often hesitate to perform C-sections because they significantly increase the mother’s recovery time. However, they are life-saving surgeries. When children get stuck in the birth canal due to broad shoulders or the mother/child shows signs of distress, the attending OBGYN must perform a timely C-section. Waiting too long and leaving mothers in prolonged labor often results in severe brain injuries and even fatalities in New Jersey.
Mount Laurel, NJ Birth Injury Lawyers
We do not charge struggling families any upfront legal fees or out-of-pocket costs in birth injury cases at Ginsberg & O’Connor. Instead, we can accept your case on a contingency fee basis and even front the cost of expensive medical experts to provide for your child’s future. Contact us online or call 856-727-1991.