Obstetrician faces lawsuit after birth injuries to 9-pound baby

It is not uncommon for New York mothers to be concerned about the well-being of their babies during childbirth. They commonly have to put all their trust in the competence of the medical staff that is present during the process. A mother would naturally expect the obstetrician to identify potential birth injuries and act upon them in a timely manner.

An obstetrician in another state is currently facing a medical malpractice lawsuit that was brought by the mother of a child who suffered birth injuries in 2012. She states that the birth weight of the child was over nine pounds, and she accuses the obstetrician of negligence in failing to identify this as a potential problem and, therefore, performing a Cesarean section. The plaintiff claims that her daughter was left with brachial plexus injury and permanent damage to her nerves, leaving her left arm mostly motionless.

The injuries allegedly stem from the defendant’s attempts to turn the baby when she identified problems in delivering the posterior shoulder. These maneuvers allegedly led to the baby’s head being excessively tilted during birth, along with excessive downward pressure. The little girl has also been diagnosed as being autistic; however, this condition was reported not to be related to the birth injury.

The parents of children whose well-being have been jeopardized by the negligence of medical professionals may be facing ongoing financial expenses as the result of birth injuries. By carefully recording and documenting the alleged negligence, and successfully presenting a medical malpractice claim in a New York court, they may be the recipients of a monetary judgment to cover medical expenses. Additional compensation may be awarded to cover future costs, along with any other related damages as allowed by state laws.

Source: The Madison-St.Clair Record, “Child’s birth injury subject of medical malpractice case at trial“, Ann Maher, Aug. 15, 2014