Philadelphia Birth Injuries Attorneys

Our Philadelphia Birth Injury Lawyers Are Here to Help

The birth of a new baby is normally a wonderful occasion and one that parents everywhere, including parents in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, anticipate with hope and eagerness. Unfortunately, birth injuries can result in permanent disabling problems that cause great distress in what normally is a joyful event. Tragically, with proper medical care, some catastrophic birth injuries might have been prevented. Every child born should start his or her life with the greatest potential for success and that success should never be destroyed by the negligence of a doctor or healthcare provider. The Philadelphia birth injury lawyers at Messa & Associates have worked with many families who have experienced this devastating event.

Obstetricians, midwives and other birthing professionals are required to utilize the means available to them in a knowledgeable and medically responsible manner to ensure the best care of mother and baby. In most situations, birth injuries are avoidable. Often, steps that could and should have been taken to prevent severe injury to a newborn child are overlooked. When this happens, catastrophic injuries can result that require lifelong medical care for the injured child. A hospital, doctor, or healthcare provider who causes such catastrophic injuries should be held legally and financially accountable. The experienced and knowledgeable Philadelphia birth injuries attorneys at the Pennsylvania personal injury law firm of Messa & Associates can help New Jersey and Pennsylvania families recover compensation for their losses and the life-altering consequences of birth injuries.

Our Philadelphia Birth Injuries Attorneys Understand All Types of Birth Injuries

Our Philadelphia birth injury lawyers have represented families who have experienced birth injuries to newborns that include:

• Cerebral Palsy – There are several known causes of cerebral palsy that can happen at different points in the prenatal, birth, and post-natal periods.

•  Erb’s Palsy – Temporary or permanent paralysis of a child’s arm due to nerve damage occurring during birth.

• Perinatal stroke- Causing brain injury, paralysis, blindness or even death.

• Shoulder Dystocia /Brachial Plexus Injury – This condition occurs if the baby’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s cervix during birth and an improper action is performed by the doctor to complete the birth. This injury can result in Erb-Duchenne Palsy or Dejerine-Klumpke Palsy.

• Kernicterus – This preventable birth injury is caused by a high level of bilirubin in a baby’s blood. If left untreated, the bilirubin can then spread into the brain, where it causes long-term brain damage.

Birth injuries to babies born in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can happen at any point during the gestation period, at birth, or after birth. Medical professionals who mistreat expectant mothers during the course of their pregnancy, fail to diagnose and treat conditions such as preeclampsia , polyhydramnios and infections, mishandle emergencies during the birthing process, or who do not follow protocol after a difficult delivery can commit errors that amount to medical malpractice. Some causes of birth injuries that have been handled by our experienced Philadelphia birth injuries attorneys are:

Prenatal causes –

• certain infections including rubella, Group B strep, and herpes simplex; placental complications including placental insufficiency and placental separation from the uterine wall;
• the mother’s alcohol or drug abuse;
• exposure to certain chemicals;
• prescription of improper medication for mother during pregnancy;
• certain conditions in the mother including preeclampsia, eclampsia, toxemia, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Causes occurring at birth –

• umbilical cord prolapse or umbilical cord restriction caused by internal or external factors;
• tearing of the placenta during birth, or placenta abruption;
• fetal distress during the baby’s movement through the birth canal, assessed by fetal acidosis or lactic acidosis;
• hypoxic injuries, and other significant injuries that can lead to brain damage;
• bone fractures or skull fractures for which the delivering physician is at fault.

Post-natal causes –

• unaddressed or untreated seizures;
• conditions that commonly accompany severe prematurity, including high blood pressure, excessive bleeding, poor nutrition, dehydration, jaundice, infection, and other factors.
• hyperbilirubinemia / kernicterus

The costs that are associated with the lifelong care of a child following a traumatic birth are easily estimated in the tens of millions of dollars without factoring in time off work, mental suffering and the traumas experienced throughout the life of the injured person. Your baby may require surgery, adaptive equipment, or therapy for many years to come. The mounting medical bills resulting from the childbirth trauma suffered may already be causing you relentless stress and worry.

Although there are many doctors who would claim that conditions such as cerebral palsy are always beyond the ability of the doctor to control, many studies and individual cases prove otherwise. You owe it to yourself as a parent or loved one to seek the advice of experienced Philadelphia birth injuries attorneys who will take the necessary steps and consult with the best medical experts regarding your child’s circumstances, to uncover the truth of what happened, expose any negligence of physicians and attending staff at your child’s birth, and prosecute your case to the fullest extent of the law.

With offices in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Philadelphia, the Philadelphia birth injuries attorneys at Messa & Associates can make this evaluation with the testimony of experienced professionals and medical experts who will interpret complex medical records. Our aggressive representation will help provide compensation for negligent birth injuries so that the most excellent treatment can be assured for the future of your child. Families in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can call the birthl injury lawyers at Messa & Associates in Philadelphia or South Jersey at 1-877-MESSA-LAW or 1-877-637-7252, for a consultation free of charge to discuss the details of your case. The future of a child is something that can be prepared for today. Call and get the advice of the experienced and compassionate Philadelphia birth injuries attorneys at Messa & Associates.