Michigan Fetal Birth Asphyxia Lawyers

Our Michigan fetal birth asphyxia lawyers handle cases involving lack of oxygen in babies. Parents should not have to raise a special needs child alone, especially when a brain injury was caused by medical malpractice. The Buckfire law firm has the skill and experience to win sizeable settlements in birth injury lawsuits. Put us to work for you!

• What Causes Fetal Birth Asphyxia?
• What are Signs & Symptoms of Fetal Asphyxia?
• Can I Sue if my Baby has Brain Damage from Lack of Oxygen?
• Treatment For Fetal Birth Asphyxia

What is Fetal Birth Asphyxia?

Fetal birth asphyxia, also known as perinatal asphyxia,  is a medical condition that occurs when a newborn does not receive adequate oxygen supply before, during or just after birth. Decreased oxygen intake can result in chemical changes in the baby’s body that include hypoxemia, or low levels of oxygen in the blood, and acidosis, in which too much acid builds up in the blood.

Perinatal asphyxia can seriously affect on the mental and physical development of your newborn   There are cases when fetal birth asphyxia occurred due to the medical provider’s negligence causing a birth injury. In other cases, the hospital or doctor failed to take proper medical steps to prevent this condition from occurring or to minimize the harm of birth asphyxia.

If you believe your baby or child you care about suffered fetal birth asphyxia due to a medical mistake, you should contact a Michigan birth injury lawyer today at the Buckfire Law Firm.  We will start working on your case immediately.

What Causes Fetal Birth Asphyxia?

Some causes of reduced oxygen supply before or during birth are:

• Inadequate oxygen in the blood of the mother
• Low blood pressure of mother
• Early separation of the placenta from uterus
• Umbilical cord compression

Factors that reduce oxygen in blood after birth are:

• Low blood pressure
• Heart/lung disease
• Respiratory problems
• Severe anemia

Organs such as the brain, heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and kidneys can be among those affected by this condition. The damage can be permanent and have a profound impact over the child’s lifetime.

What are Signs & Symptoms of Fetal Asphyxia?

Doctors and nurses are highly trained to recognize the common symptoms of fetal asphyxia.  These include both symptoms before birth and at the time of delivery.  Symptoms before delivery include abnormal heart rate and increased acidity level in the fetus’ blood.  At birth symptoms of birth asphyxia include low heart rate, pale skin color, weak muscle tone and breathing, and a weak cry.

Can I Sue if my Baby has Brain Damage from Lack of Oxygen?

If fetal asphyxia is timely diagnosed or anticipated by the doctor, there is treatment that can reduce or minimize the harm to the newborn.  This can include a c-section, emergency delivery, assisted ventilation to help the newborn breathe, and giving a large amount of oxygen to the mother before delivery.

However, the failure to provide proper treatment can result in permanent brain damage to the child.  If your child’s brain damage was caused by the lack of oxygen due to a medical error, you can sue for money compensation.

To win your case, it must be proven that the medical provider was negligent and the negligence caused harm to the baby.  Our attorneys will review the medical records and fetal monitoring strips to determine if your child was the victim of medical malpractice.  If negligence caused brain damage and other injuries, we will file a burn injury lawsuit for you.

In these lawsuits, we sue doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other medical providers whose medical malpractice caused permanent harm to your baby.

Treatment For Fetal Birth Asphyxia

Fetal birth asphyxia is a complex medical problem and treatments may have success depending on timing.  Many times, the treatment may not prevent a brain injury but can minimize the damage.  Some treatments include:

• Providing the mother additional oxygen prior to delivering the baby
• Performing a C-section or emergency delivery
• Assisting with medications and ventilation to maintain and support the baby’s blood pressure and breathing to keep oxygen to the brain
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (EMC) therapy, which is a machine that provides oxygen to the body and brain as temporary support

If a newborn suffers damage to the brain from lack of oxygen at birth, there will be necessary care over the child’s lifetime.  This will include medical monitoring, special education needs, housing requirements, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, and other supporting needs for the life of the child.

How much are Birth Asphyxia Settlements?

The amount of a fetal asphyxia birth injury settlement is different in every case.  Recoverable damages include economic losses, which are financial losses and expenses, as well as non-economic damages, like pain and suffering.

These lawsuits often result in multi-million-dollar settlements because the economic damages alone are substantial. Economic damages include past, present, and future costs and expenses.

Our firm typically hires a Certified Life Care Planner to create a plan that details all of the needs for the child over a lifetime.  The plan details medical expenses, supportive care, housing needs, specialized vehicles, medications, and other therapies and provides a dollar amount for those expenses.  This plan is an essential part of a settlement demand and if the case does not settle between the parties, the request for a jury to award damages if the case goes to trial.

Non-economic losses include pain and suffering, disability, mental anguish and other non-financial losses suffered by the baby over a lifetime. This includes claims for loss of enjoyment of life that is caused by the brain damage.

Parents often receive their own compensation in a lawsuit. Many parents completely alter their lives to care for their special needs child and compensation can be awarded to them as well.  Our law firm demands all possible recoverable damages allowable by Michigan statutes and common law court decisions.

Fetal Asphyxia Birth Injury Settlement Example

A pregnant mother with a completely normal pregnancy went into labor and was admitted to the hospital.  Fetal strips showed there was a problem prior to delivery but emergent action, like a C-section was not taken.  The baby suffered birth asphyxia and the result was cerebral palsy with quadriplegia.

A birth injury lawsuit was filed against the hospital and the OB physician.  After taking depositions and preparing for trial, the case settled for $ 20 million.

Contact a Michigan Fetal Asphyxia Birth Injury Lawyer

Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys can prove these elements of a fetal birth asphyxia case for your child.   Our skilled birth injury attorneys have a top track record of successful settlements in these complex cases.

We charge no legal fees unless you win a settlement.  And, there are no costs to start your case. To learn more about how a Michigan fetal birth asphyxia lawsuit can help your child and your family, contact us today to start your case.

Fetal Asphyxia Birth Injury Resources

UpToDate Medical Literature

Healthline

Perinatal Asphyxia – Johns Hopkins Medicine