Detroit Birth Injury Attorneys

Although Detroit is home to cutting-edge hospitals and other medical facilities, many patients still suffer from preventable harm. Among the most devastating consequences of medical negligence are birth injuries. The term “birth injury” refers to any type of harm to a baby around the time of birth, including oxygen deprivation, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE),  excessive pressure/force, infections, and other issues. Birth injuries may lead to permanent disabilities and conditions like cerebral palsy (CP).

The following medical complications and mistakes are common causes of preventable birth injuries:

• Mismanagement of an abnormal fetal presentation
• Birth asphyxia (fetal oxygen deprivation)
• Improper fetal monitoring/failure of the medical team to recognize signs of fetal distress
• Birth trauma (excessive force during delivery)
• Misuse of forceps or vacuum extractors
• Delayed emergency C-section
• Failure to recognize and promptly respond to medical emergencies such as placental abruption and uterine rupture
• Mismanagement of a baby that cannot fit safely through the mother’s pelvis (see cephalopelvic disproportion and macrosomia)
• Medication errors
• Mismanagement of a high-risk pregnancy
• Mismanagement of a maternal or newborn infection
• Mismanagement of neonatal jaundice
• Failure to prevent premature birth (when possible) or to take adequate precautions for a premature baby
• Mismanagement of an umbilical cord complication

Birth injuries may result in lifelong disabilities, such as the following:

• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): HIE is a type of brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen and/or blood flow around the time of birth. If given within six hours of birth/the oxygen depriving event, therapeutic hypothermia can minimize permanent brain damage from HIE.
• Cerebral palsy (CP): CP is the most common motor disorder of childhood. It can result from hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, a traumatic birth injury, infections, and other causes.
• Seizure disorders/epilepsy
• Vision impairments
• Hearing impairments
• Intellectual disabilities

Children with birth injuries often require extensive medical and personal care throughout their lives. For many parents, this can break the bank. Pursuing a birth injury lawsuit can not only help you get justice, but also obtain enough settlement money to ensure that your child will be well provided for over a lifetime.

Regardless of which Detroit area hospital or medical facility you gave birth in, there are standards of care related to pregnancy and labor and delivery. If medical professionals violate these standards, and it causes harm to the mother and/or baby, this constitutes medical malpractice. 

Our firm, ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers, is based in metro Detroit, but we serve clients throughout Michigan and around the nation.

Our Detroit birth injury lawyers focus exclusively on advocating for children with birth injuries, and we have both the legal and medical expertise necessary to win these complex cases. We will carefully review all medical records to determine if negligence occurred (our on-staff legal nurse and expert medical consultants play a major role in this). If we see evidence of malpractice, we will fight hard to ensure that your child gets access to the resources they need for a good quality of life and a secure future. We spend a great deal of time getting to know each child and family we are helping, so that we can fully understand the child’s needs. Our attorneys have been recognized and received many awards for their work — both locally in the Detroit area as well as national honors such as inclusion in the U.S. News and World Report “Best Lawyers in America.” 

Other cities our Michigan birth injury lawyers serve:

Dearborn ▪️ Lansing ▪️ Southfield ▪️ Grand Rapids ▪️ Ann Arbor