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Alexandria, Virginia Birth Injury Lawyer

Was Your Child Harmed at Birth in Alexandria?

There is nothing more important to a parent than the health of their child. This is especially true of new parents. Along with the excitement and joy that comes with a new pregnancy and birth, there can also be anxiety and fear. While you are excited to welcome a new member of your family, you are worried about the risks associated with childbirth and know that sometimes things can go wrong. Unfortunately, for many parents, this fear is realized in the form of life-altering birth injuries.

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You May Have Legal Options in Alexandria for Your Child’s Birth Injury

If a medical professional acted negligently and caused you or your child to suffer a birth injury in Alexandria, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim for compensation. At Regan Zambri Long our dedicated team of birth injury lawyers is committed to thoroughly investigating every case so that our clients can collect the maximum amount of compensation available for their claims. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with a trusted Alexandria birth injury lawyer today.

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What Is a Birth Injury?

A birth injury is any injury or damage that occurs to the baby during pregnancy or labor and delivery. The damage can be external injuries or internal defects, usually as the result of trauma.

It’s important to distinguish between a birth injury and a birth defect. A birth defect is inherited by the baby through genetics. Birth injuries are not inherited. They are often the result of negligence by a healthcare provider either during the mother’s pregnancy or labor and delivery.

The Alexandria, Virginia medical malpractice attorneys at Regan Zambri Long are experts in the law when it comes to birth injuries in Virginia. If you believe you have a claim due to a birth injury, please contact a personal injury lawyer in Alexandria, Virginia from Regan Zambri Long now.

How Common Are Birth Injuries?

Unfortunately, according to the CDC, birth injuries are more common than one would think. Approximately 1 in every 33 babies (or 3% of all babies) suffer from a birth injury or birth defect. In fact, birth injuries and birth defects are the leading cause of infant death and account for 20% of all infant mortality.

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Do I Have a Birth Injury Medical Malpractice Case?

Although not every birth injury is a result of medical malpractice, there are many cases where negligence on the part of a medical professional was the direct cause. There are four things you will need to prove in a medical malpractice case:

  • Standard of Care: Northern Virginia physicians have a standard of care in which they are legally held. In simple terms, a doctor’s standard of care is a level of conduct that a reasonable practitioner would be held to in their given practice or specialty in Virginia. For example, let’s take a patient in an emergency room. If the patient’s heart stops beating in the emergency room, the standard of care would be to give the patient CPR. In your personal injury case, you must establish the doctor had a standard of care for you and your infant.
  • Violation of standard of care: The next thing to prove would be the doctor’s violation of that standard of care. The medical professionals handling your pregnancy and delivery must have all the education, skills, and knowledge to handle your pregnancy and the birth of your child. If the healthcare professional neglects any of his or her duties while tending to you, that is a violation of the standard of care.
  • Harm caused by the violation: The next point to prove is that the child’s injury is directly caused by the physician’s negligence. Our legal team at Regan Zambri Long will pour over medical records, charts, medications, and labs to prove your child would not have suffered if the healthcare provider or providers had performed to the standard of care.
  • Damages: Finally, your attorney will request the maximum compensation for you and your family. Damages will include all current and future medical bills. Your attorney will also recover lost wages if you or another parent needs to take off work to care for the child. You may also collect damages for the pain and suffering your child will have to endure.
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What Are Common Birth Injuries?

Cerebral Palsy

One common form of birth injury is Cerebral Palsy, which is a form of brain damage. When the newborn is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, it means the baby’s brain is incapable of properly controlling the body’s muscles. As a result, the injured child will be limited in their movement and speech. These debilities can lead to costly medical bills and require permanent assistance to thrive.

The brain damage that leads to Cerebral Palsy is often a result of a lack of oxygen to the child’s brain. A doctor leaving the infant in the birth canal too long, improper use of forceps or vacuum, failure to detect a prolapsed cord, or failure to treat seizures can all lead to a lack of oxygen. Additional causes of cerebral Palsy can include maternal infections, premature birth, c-section delays, and head trauma.

Erb’s Palsy

Erby’s Palsy is a condition caused by damage to the nerves at the base of a baby’s neck that occurs during delivery. This can result in paralysis of the baby’s arm.

This type of nerve damage injury can be caused at birth. If the infant’s head and neck are pulled to the side as the shoulders pass through the birth canal, it can cause tearing to the brachial plexus nerve.

Brain Injury

Infant brain injuries are often severe and are likely caused by trauma during pregnancy or labor and delivery. These types of serious injuries can lead to lifelong disabilities for the child and a future of extensive medical bills for the child’s parents. Some forms of infant brain damage include:

Delivery Complications

Many forms of delivery complications can result in injury to the infant. Some examples of these complications include:

The Cost of Birth Injuries

Birth injuries affect more than just the child who suffers from them. The fact is, having a newborn suffer a birth injury will take a toll on the family, both emotionally and financially. Different costs you will have to think about after your child suffers a birth injury are:

Medical Bills

The cost of the medical care administered to a child and parent during a life-or-death medical emergency caused by a birth injury can be extreme. Life-saving measures taken to assist both the parent and the child can add up quickly. Bills can include:

Therapy Costs

For children who suffer brain injuries, therapy may be a part of their everyday life. The cost of occupational therapy for a child with Cerebral Palsy is can be as expensive as $400 per hour. When you partner with a Regan Zambri Long attorney, we will make sure your damages will cover the cost of therapy for your child.

Medical Equipment Costs

Some children who suffered a birth injury will also need specialized equipment and devices. These can include ventilators, oxygen machines, walkers, speech machines, and wheelchairs with various levels of automation. A wheelchair can cost $5,000 alone, not including the maintenance fees.

All medical equipment will break down and need to be replaced over time, costing the family thousands of dollars per year.

Life-long Care

According to the CDC, the average cost of life-long care for a person with cerebral palsy is $921,000. Adjusted for inflation, that is approximately $1.4 million in today’s dollars. Additionally, they found the cost of life-long care of a person with a severe mental handicap to be approximately $1.5 million inflation-adjusted dollars.

These costs are significant and ones that may not be covered by your insurance company claim. We have the knowledge and experience to recover these costs for you and your family. Our compassionate lawyers are passionate about getting money for you.

Pain and Suffering

Often left out of the conversation is the pain and suffering caused by a birth injury. The mental stress, along with the physical toll of having a child with a birth injury can cause anxiety and depression in parents. At Regan Zambri Long, we understand no dollar figure can be placed on a parent having to deal with knowing their child may never walk. But we can do everything in our power to make sure you don’t have to worry about your finances. You have enough on your plate. Let us carry that burden for you and help you take care of your family.

What Common Medical Errors Lead to Birth Injuries?

There are several ways medical professionals can cause injuries during pregnancy or to a newborn. They include, but are not limited to:

  • Misuse of Pitocin (a synthetic hormone used in pregnant mothers to induce or speed up labor).
  • Misuse or unsafe use of vacuum extraction of the baby or forceps during delivery.
  • Misdiagnosis during pregnancy, including failure to treat placenta previa or placental abruption.
  • Lack of or improperly monitoring the health of the mother and the baby during pregnancy.
  • The improper resuscitation of a newborn.
  • Misreading prenatal tests.
  • Failure to respond appropriately to bleeding.
  • Ignoring fetal distress.
  • Failing to stop preterm labor.
  • Failing to identify, treat, or guard against infection.
  • Ignoring signs of oxygen deprivation of the fetus.
  • Delayed order of a cesarean section.
  • Failure to treat umbilical cord entrapment.
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Why Work with a Regan Zambri Long as Your Alexandria Birth Injury Lawyer?

At Regan Zambri Long, we take the legal process very seriously and fiercely fight for the right of our clients. In our 30+ years of serving the communities in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC, we have recovered millions for our clients in various practice areas. We are confident we can build a case around your personal injury claim that will help secure your financial future.

Our testimonials speak for themselves. Our clients know we have their best intentions at heart. We deeply understand what a scary, stressful, and even sad time our clients are going through. That’s why we work around the clock to secure a favorable settlement as quickly as possible. Many of the attorneys at Regan Zambri Long are parents ourselves. We know how scary things can be when it comes to the health of your child. Let us take control of the claims process while you focus on the health of your family. Our clients deserve justice and compensation and we work diligently to secure both.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.

Call 202-960-4596

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