Baltimore Shoulder Dystocia Lawyer
Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone during birth. This situation is difficult to deal with and can result in serious injuries to the baby, including a broken collarbone, facial lacerations, brachial plexus injury, or other nerve damage causing pain or paralysis. Mothers are also at risk of severe and potentially fatal harm from shoulder dystocia, including lacerations, a ruptured uterus, or hemorrhage.
With proper medical care and attention, shoulder dystocia can be avoided in the first place or else handled in a way that doesn’t cause serious injury to the infant or the mother. On the other hand, lack of attention, lack of skill, and negligence on the part of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff members can lead to a serious or deadly shoulder dystocia injury.
Medical malpractice cases are complex, and shoulder dystocia injuries are no exception. A team of experienced medical malpractice attorneys and medical experts is necessary to determine whether medical negligence is behind any shoulder dystocia injury suffered by the mother or child. If it was, even more work needs to be done to prove that negligence caused the injury and demonstrate how much financial compensation is necessary and appropriate to deal with the medical issues, pain and suffering, and the challenges of daily living that could be imposed due to this severe type of birth injury.
The Baltimore shoulder dystocia lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman have devoted their legal careers to helping malpractice injury victims get the medical care and compensation they require after an injury caused by hospital medical errors. If you or your baby suffered from a shoulder dystocia injury during birth, call our office for a free consultation on your potential claims and how to proceed.
What Causes Shoulder Dystocia?
We’ve already discussed what shoulder dystocia is – the baby’s shoulder stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone. Although this situation presents itself at birth, there are many factors during labor and delivery that can be warning signs to the doctor and nurses that shoulder dystocia is more likely. Factors that can increase the likelihood of shoulder dystocia include:
- Gestational or maternal diabetes
- Fetal macrosomia (large baby)
- Induced labor
- Late-term delivery
- Use of epidural
- Multiple births
- Shoulder dystocia in a prior birth
Proper maternal and fetal monitoring during pregnancy, labor and delivery can help doctors avoid shoulder dystocia injuries or be prepared to handle this not uncommon birth complication without causing undue injury. For instance, using forceps or vacuum extraction to aid in birth can increase the likelihood of a shoulder dystocia injury. Even without additional medical instruments, applying too much force can also cause shoulder dystocia injuries. In instances where shoulder dystocia injury may be likely, a c-section might be the appropriate intervention to deliver the baby safely. Doctors should also be trained in various procedures to aid a vaginal birth involving shoulder dystocia. Some of these procedures include:
- McRoberts maneuver
- Suprapubic pressure
- Internal rotation
- Posterior arm extraction
- Zavanelli maneuver
Time is of the essence to prevent hypoxic injuries or other injuries linked to a prolonged delivery. Doctors practicing according to the accepted standard of care in the medical community will have the judgment, temperament and skill to decide on the appropriate method and perform it in a timely and skillful manner. Doctors who choose the wrong method, apply too much force or pressure, wait too long, or otherwise fail to perform according to the accepted standard, can and should be held accountable for any injuries that result from the failure to practice with the appropriate level of skill and care.
Help With Shoulder Dystocia Birth Injuries in Baltimore
Any complicated birth is stressful and distressful, and it can be difficult to know if something like shoulder dystocia will resolve on its own or cause a lifelong impairment. It can also be difficult to determine whether medical malpractice played a role in a shoulder dystocia injury happening or not. It takes both medical experts and experienced birth injury lawyers to answer these questions.
The attorneys at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman can help you figure things out and get you the care and compensation you need if you or your child was injured due to shoulder dystocia. We are known for the care and compassion we extend to our clients as well as the significant results we achieve. If your child suffered from a shoulder dystocia injury at a Baltimore hospital, call the WVFK&N team at 410-998-3600 for a free consultation, and let us help you get the care and compensation you deserve after being harmed by medical malpractice.
