Spinal Cord Injuries During Birth
Cleveland birth injury lawyer explains why these injuries happen
Spinal cord injuries are among the most devastating injuries a child can sustain during birth. Whether it’s during the mother’s pregnancy or the baby’s delivery, injuries to the infant’s spine can have serious, lifelong consequences.
Worst of all, many infant spinal cord injuries can be prevented. That’s because these birth injuries often occur due to medical negligence and errors made by healthcare professionals. When that happens, it’s important for parents to take immediate steps to hold medical professionals accountable for their actions.
For more than three decades, The Lancione Law Firm near Cleveland has been fighting for the rights of families throughout the country. Ohio birth injury attorney John A. Lancione has a national reputation for effectively resolving such complex legal cases. He understands how the legal system works. He knows what evidence to look for. That’s why he has such a strong track record of success. Case results matter here.
What are common infant spinal cord injuries?
Spinal cord injuries are divided into two main types– incomplete spinal cord injuries and complete spinal cord injuries. Incomplete spinal cord injuries are more common than complete spinal cord injuries, which account for 30 percent of spinal injuries.
An incomplete spinal cord injury involves the spinal cord being partially severed. These types of injuries result in partial loss of movement and use of the affected parts of the body. Depending on where the injury took place, there are different medical terms for types of incomplete spinal cord injuries. This includes spinal damage to the center of the spine (central cord syndrome), front of the spine (anterior cord syndrome) or side of the spine (Brown-Sequard Syndrome).
A complete spinal cord injury involves the spinal cord being completely severed. In such cases, injury victims cannot move their bodies and do not feel any sensation below the injury location. There are several common types of paralysis (loss of movement) associated with complete spinal cord injuries:
- Triplegia – Paralysis in both legs and one arm.
- Paraplegia – Paralysis below the waist.
- Quadriplegia – Paralysis from the neck down.
Why do these injuries happen?
Infant spinal cord injuries often occur due to mistakes made by medical professionals during the pregnancy or the baby’s delivery. In particular, if the fetus is not positioned in the right direction during pregnancy, an infant can sustain a spinal cord injury due to an abnormal fetal position.
However, it’s during and shortly before and after a baby’s delivery that an infant often faces the highest risk of sustaining an injury to the spine. Sometimes, such injuries occur due to an obstetrician misusing medical devices during the delivery. Other times, medical professionals fail to take decisive action in response to a delayed delivery.
Whatever the circumstances, it’s important for parents to understand their rights and the legal options available to them. That’s why it’s critical that you talk to attorney Lancione if you suspect your child’s spinal cord injury is the result of medical negligence.
Put your trust in an Ohio law firm that puts your family’s needs first. Contact us
Don’t simply assume you will be fairly compensated for your medical bills and other injury-related expenses, which can be significant in cases involving spinal cord injuries. Doctors, surgeons, hospitals and other medical institutions focus their energy on defending their actions and denying your claim, and you need the right legal help to fight back.
Our law firm knows how to respond to such situations. We know how to investigate birth injuries, including carefully reviewing medical records related to your pregnancy, delivery and your infant’s neonatal care. We also thoroughly understand how the system works when it comes to such complex legal cases.
Many times, insurance companies and the attorneys representing medical professionals negotiate in good faith and make a fair settlement offer. If not, we will not hesitate to take legal action on your behalf and file a birth injury lawsuit seeking damages, a legal term for financial compensation.
Put your trust in a law firm that puts your need first. Contact us and schedule a free consultation with Cleveland birth injury lawyer John A. Lancione. You can reach us online or call (440) 331-6100 or (877) 515-4369 to speak directly with attorney Lancione.