Erie, PA Birth Injury Lawyers

Skilled Personal Injury Firm Holds Doctors And Hospitals Financially Accountable For Birth Injuries In Erie, PA

Bringing a new life into the world is an amazing experience. Sadly, this feeling of joy and anticipation quickly turns to anxiety and concern when the child suffers a birth injury as a result of medical negligence. When a medical professional fails to adhere to the medically accepted standard of care and a child suffers injury as a result of this negligence, there is something that parents can do about it.

While sometimes nothing can be done to completely undo the harm that was inflicted, by pursuing a claim of medical negligence against the medical facility, you can hold the at-fault party accountable for their actions and perhaps prevent the negligence from happening in the future. At Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., our skilled personal injury attorneys have extensive experience handling birth-related injury claims.

Personal Injury Law Firm Skilled In Handling Birth-Related Injury Claims In Erie, PA

When a hospital, doctor, or other health care provider behaves in an irresponsible manner and this negligence causes harm to a person, this is referred to as medical malpractice. Birth injuries can be the result of a medical professional failing to demonstrate reasonable care, which causes one of the following:

• Mother sustaining an injury during pregnancy
• Child sustaining an injury during delivery
• A wrongful pregnancy: the parents’ attempts to avoid or end a pregnancy fails
• A wrongful birth, whereby parents would have avoided or ended the pregnancy if they had been aware of the birth defects

Claims of birth-related injuries can be quite complicated; if you believe your child’s birth injuries are the result of medical malpractice, it is best to consult with a personal injury attorney who is experienced and knowledgeable in handling claims of birth-related injury due to medical negligence.

Some Of The Most Common Birth Injuries

Birth injuries range from those that are sustained during the pregnancy to those inflicted during the delivery process. Some of the most common birth injuries include the following:

• Brain damage
• Lack of oxygen at birth
• Trauma to the infant during pregnancy
• Problems with the placenta
• Excessively medicating the mother during delivery
• Prolapsed umbilical cord
• Injuries sustained during a C-Section
• Erb’s Palsy
• Shoulder dystocia
• Preeclampsia and eclampsia
• Disfigurement
• Prescription medications given to mother during pregnancy that cause damage to the child

Some birth injuries have a life-long impact on your child. Many injuries require surgery or medical treatment, resulting in significant medical expenses that are often not covered by health insurance plans. By filing a claim of medical malpractice, families of the child can hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions and protect their financial future.

Related: Babies Born at Night (or in Rural Hospitals) Are More Likely to Suffer Brain Injury

Erie, PA Parents May File A Birth-Related Injury Claim To Recover Damages From Those At Fault For The Injury

If your infant suffered a birth-related injury, you may bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against the medical professional, doctor, or hospital that caused this birth-related injury due to their negligent actions.

On behalf of the child who sustained birth injuries, the parents or family member may seek to recover compensation for the injury and other losses. These may include — but are not limited to — the following:

• Expenses for medical treatment
• Doctor bills
• Bills for surgical procedures
• Expenses for hospital stay
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Cost of future medical expenses as a result of the medical negligence
• Mental suffering
• Physical suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Physical pain
• Loss of one’s enjoyment of life

When the injured party has sustained losses that are immeasurable, the Pennsylvania courts will consider all the facets of the birth injury claim and assign a monetary value that they deem is appropriate. To learn more about the compensation you may be entitled to recover for your child’s birth-related injury, contact the personal injury team at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. to schedule a free case evaluation.

Results-Driven Personal Injury Law Firm Dedicated to Recovering Compensation for Birth-Related Injuries in Erie, PA

Realizing your child sustained a birth-related injury can be agonizing and overwhelming. Let us help. At Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., our skilled injury attorneys are dedicated to protecting those who have been harmed due to negligence, and we have a track record of success in holding the at-fault parties accountable for their actions.

Schedule a free case evaluation with a member of our team; we will answer your questions, explain the process, and discuss the level of compensation you are eligible to recover.

About Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania is the county seat of Erie County and is not only the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania — Erie is also the largest city in northwestern Pennsylvania. The city of Erie is located on the south shore of Lake Erie. Erie is known as “Gem City” and is also referred to as the “Flagship City”. The local economy in Erie includes various industries such as technology, manufacturing, health care, service industries, higher education, and tourism.

Frequently Asked Questions About Birth Injuries In Erie, Pennsylvania

Does Pennsylvania have a cap on the amount of compensation I can recover for my child’s birth injury?

No. At this time, Pennsylvania does not have a cap on damages for medical malpractice claims. The injured party may recover all economic losses (medical expenses, hospital bills) and non-economic losses (emotional pain and suffering, loss of one’s quality of life) that were sustained due to the injury.

We were unaware that my child’s birth injury was caused by the doctor’s negligence. Can we still file a claim?

Every state has legal deadlines for filing civil claims in the state, known as “statutes of limitations”. In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for filing a birth-related injury claim — which is a claim of medical malpractice — is two years. It is important to note that the clock for this two-year window starts from the time that the injury took place, or from the time you became aware (or should have been aware in the eyes of the law) that the injury occurred. All medical malpractice claims must be filed with the state no more than seven years after the injury took place, regardless of when you realized that the harm was inflicted.