Nashville Birth Injury Lawyer

Fighting Obstetric Malpractice & Delivery Room Errors

The birth of a child should be one of the happiest moments in any parent's life. When something goes wrong because a doctor or nurse is negligent, this beautiful moment can turn into a nightmare. If your child suffered a serious birth injury or died as a result of medical malpractice, call Kinnard Law. We are here to provide the dedicated support and representation you need during this trying time.

Our Nashville birth injury lawyers bring experience, empathy, and skill to every case we take on. We understand the extraordinary tragedy your family has suffered and can fight for the justice you deserve. Allow our team to pursue the maximum compensation you need to recover from this tragedy.

While we know that no amount of monetary payment can compensate for the life of a child, we are here to help make sure such an incident doesn’t happen again. Call us at (615) 933-2893.

What is a Birth Injury?

Birth injury describes an injury an infant sustains during labor or delivery. In the context of our practice, birth injury cases involve some sort of negligence on behalf of the doctor, hospital, or other healthcare professional. When an attorney can prove that there was an established doctor-patient relationship, the doctor breached his or her duty of care, and that breach proximately caused the injury, we can potentially secure financial compensation on behalf of the victim.

Common types of birth injuries include:

• Brachial Plexus Injury: This occurs when the nerves around the baby's shoulder are damaged, often due to excessive pulling or stretching during delivery. It can result in conditions like Erb's palsy or Klumpke's palsy, affecting movement and sensation in the arm.
• Cerebral Palsy: A group of disorders affecting movement, muscle tone, and posture, caused by damage to the developing brain, often during childbirth or shortly after.
• Bone Fractures: Fractures, most commonly of the collarbone or the bones in the baby's skull, can occur during delivery, especially if forceps or vacuum extraction are used.
• Perinatal Asphyxia: This refers to a lack of oxygen to the baby's brain before, during, or after birth, which can lead to brain damage and various complications.
• Caput Succedaneum: Swelling of the baby's scalp, often caused by pressure against the mother's cervix or vaginal wall during delivery.
• Cephalohematoma: Bleeding between the baby's skull and the periosteum (the membrane covering the bones), resulting in a raised bump on the baby's head.
• Facial Nerve Injury: Damage to the facial nerve during delivery, which can cause temporary or permanent facial paralysis.
• Intracranial Hemorrhage: Bleeding that occurs inside the baby's skull, which can lead to brain damage and neurological complications.
• Shoulder Dystocia: When the baby's shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother's pubic bone during delivery, which can cause injury to the baby's nerves, bones, or blood vessels.
• Injuries from Instrumental Delivery: The use of forceps or vacuum extraction during delivery can sometimes cause injuries such as bruising, lacerations, or facial injuries to the baby.
• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): This is a type of brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation and reduced blood flow to the brain before, during, or after birth. It can lead to developmental delays, seizures, and cognitive impairments.
• Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS): When a newborn inhales meconium (the baby's first stool) into the lungs before, during, or after birth, it can lead to respiratory distress and lung inflammation.
• Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH): Bleeding that occurs in the brain's ventricles, often affecting premature babies, and can lead to neurological complications and developmental delays.
• Skull Fractures: In addition to fractures of the collarbone or other bones, babies can also experience fractures of the skull during delivery, especially if there is prolonged labor or the use of forceps.
• Facial Bruising or Petechiae: Bruising or small red or purple spots on the baby's face, often caused by pressure or trauma during delivery.
• Birth Asphyxia: Similar to perinatal asphyxia, birth asphyxia refers specifically to oxygen deprivation during the delivery process, leading to potential brain damage and other complications.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spinal cord during delivery can result in paralysis or impaired motor function in the affected areas of the body.
• Umbilical Cord Complications: Issues such as umbilical cord prolapse (when the cord slips into the birth canal ahead of the baby), umbilical cord compression, or umbilical cord entanglement can lead to oxygen deprivation and other complications for the baby.
• Birth Injuries from Infection: Infections contracted during childbirth, such as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), can lead to conditions like sepsis or meningitis in newborns, causing serious health problems.
• Failure to Monitor Fetal Heart Rate: Inadequate monitoring of the baby's heart rate during labor and delivery can result in delays in recognizing signs of distress, leading to potential birth injuries related to oxygen deprivation or other complications.

Birth Injury Compensation

Infants that sustain birth injuries, such as hypoxic brain injury or brachial plexus injuries, often develop permanent disabilities or disfigurement. For example, lack of oxygen to the brain can cause brain damage that results in cerebral palsy. Individuals with cerebral palsy will have a lifetime of medical expenses that a birth injury claim award could pay for. If your son or daughter was injured during labor or delivery, seeking a birth injury claim is like pursuing the money you will need to provide care for the rest of their life.

Standing Up for Victims of Birth Injuries

If your child suffered injuries during the pregnancy, delivery, or post-partum period as a result of a doctor or medical professional's negligence, those responsible should be held accountable for their actions. A birth injury due to negligence or malpractice can have life-altering consequences.

These injuries can have any of a number of causes, like improper use of vacuum extraction equipment or forceps, the failure to properly monitor fetal heartbeat, umbilical cord compression, errors during cesarean delivery, and other various forms of medical negligence.

Our Nashville birth injury lawyers are also prepared to handle wrongful death lawsuits for parents whose son or daughter died due to an injury sustained during labor or delivery. We have a thorough understanding of how medical malpractice and wrongful death laws overlap and can help you craft a compelling claim.

Pursue the Compensation Your Child Deserves. Call Us Now!

In order to seek compensation for a birth injury or postpartum mistreatment due to medical malpractice or negligence, it is vital that you contact a firm with experience in these cases. Kinnard Law has access to medical experts who can properly evaluate the merits of your claim. Our accomplished nurses and team of independent diagnosticians and physicians can also assess the cause and long-term prognosis of a serious birth injury. This comprehensive legal counsel, support, and representation cannot be found at any other firm in the Nashville area.

Ready to talk with our birth injury attorneys about your case? We are ready to listen. Call us at (615) 933-2893.