Legal Help for Victims of Medical Malpractice | Birth Injury and HIE Lawyers in Michigan
The award-winning birth injury attorneys at Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers have helped hundreds of children with birth injuries such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy and seizure disorders. Recognized as one of the best medical malpractice law firms in the nation by U.S. News and World Report 2015, the attorneys at Reiter & Walsh consistently obtain multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for each child they help. For the last several years, the firm has been recognized by Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly as having some of the largest verdicts and settlements annually in Michigan. Partners Jesse Reiter and Rebecca Walsh are currently recognized as being two of the best medical malpractice lawyers in America by U.S. News and World Report. Jesse has been focusing solely on birth injury cases for over 28 years, and most of his cases involve HIE and cerebral palsy. Jesse and his team of award-winning attorneys spend a lot of time getting to know each child and family they help so they can fully understand the child’s lifelong needs.
If your child was injured during or near the time of birth and now has hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, seizures or any other birth injury, contact Reiter & Walsh today at 888-419-2229. Our birth injury attorneys are available 24/7 to speak with you.
Our Recent Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and Cerebral Palsy Cases
1. $6.9 Million for a Child with HIE & Cerebral Palsy from Delayed Delivery
A new mother went to the hospital in labor. Residents and nurses watched as the fetal heart monitor showed the baby’s condition deteriorating over 12 hours, with clear signs of fetal distress. When the attending obstetrician finally arrived at the hospital, she yelled at the resident physician for not notifying her sooner. The baby was delivered by emergency C-section, but it was too late. The newborn had been deprived of oxygen for a long time and suffered severe brain injury. Shortly after birth, the baby was diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and birth anoxia (lack of oxygen to tissues or organs), which caused cerebral palsy. The team from Reiter & Walsh obtained $6.9 million to help with the child’s needs, including lifelong treatment and therapy.
2. $6.15 Million for a Child with Cerebral Palsy caused by Nuchal Cord, Stroke, Birth Asphyxia, Vacuum Extractor Delivery & Delayed C-Section
A baby girl experienced birth asphyxia during delivery and suffered a stroke because the obstetrician failed to perform a C-section when the baby was in distress. Instead, the obstetrician used a vacuum extractor to assist with vaginal delivery, even though use of this device was against the standard of care in this case. Use of a vacuum extractor is risky, and when obstetricians violate the standard of care while using it, the risks to the baby are increased even further. This baby had a very fast heart rate (tachycardia) which can be indicative of a major problem. There was, in fact, no physician present during the first 2.5 hours or more of labor, and nobody skilled at fetal heart rate interpretation was watching the fetal heart rate monitor. This is especially appalling considering the fact that this pregnancy was labeled high risk. When the obstetrician finally arrived and began to assist with labor, the baby was having a problem with her umbilical cord: it was wrapped around her neck (nuchal cord). Although a nuchal cord is fairly common, continuing with a vaginal delivery was very risky because descent during labor can cause the cord to get tighter and tighter, thereby further decreasing the oxygen going to the baby. The little girl suffered a stroke, causing her brain to be deprived of oxygen. A C-section delivery should have been performed much earlier to prevent this little girl from experiencing a lack of oxygen to her brain, permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy. Jesse and Rebecca fought to obtain $6.15 million to help with this little girl’s lifelong needs.
3. $5 Million for Child with Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) & Cerebral Palsy caused by Negligence in the NICU
A little boy has cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and cerebral palsy as a result of the NICU medical team
failing to properly monitor and manage him, thereby causing him to crash and have body system problems that caused permanent brain damage. Even when nurses made notes in the premature baby’s chart that were indicators of brain and lung problems, the entire medical team failed to act on these signs. By the time the baby crashed, multiple body systems weren’t functioning properly, which caused serious medical problems, including extremely acidic blood (acidosis). As a result of experiencing oxygen deprivation, acidosis and other serious medical problems, the baby developed periventricular leukomalacia, a serious brain injury. The PVL caused permanent brain damage and the little boy was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Indeed, there were many shockingly negligent acts in the treatment of this little boy. Even though he was premature, he was not given the care that premature babies in the NICU typically receive. An actual physician only saw the newborn once a day, during rounds. Otherwise, his care was handled entirely by nurses who failed to notify physicians of significant changes in the baby’s condition, failed to give medications that were ordered, and gave medications that were never ordered. Jesse and Rebecca obtained $5 million to help with this little boy’s lifelong care.
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), Cerebral Palsy and Seizures from Delayed C-Section
Most of the time, babies are born healthy. But when something does go wrong during labor and delivery, the medical team must act quickly to safely get the baby out of the dangerous conditions. Usually, a C-section delivery is the fastest and safest way to deliver a baby in distress. Conditions that often require prompt delivery to prevent birth asphyxia and brain damage include the following:
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- Anesthesia mistakes, which can cause blood pressure problems in the mother, including a hypotensive crisis. This can greatly decreases the supply of oxygen-rich blood going to the baby, causing birth asphyxia.
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- Umbilical cord problems, such as a nuchal cord (cord wrapped around baby’s neck), umbilical cord prolapse, short umbilical cord and cord in a true knot
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- Placental abruption
- Placenta previa
- Oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid)
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- Intracranial hemorrhages (brain bleeds), which can be caused by a traumatic delivery. Forceps and vacuum extractors can cause brain bleeds. Sometimes intense contractions (hyperstimulation) caused by labor induction drugs (Pitocin and Cytotec) can cause head trauma. Mismanagement of cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD), abnormal presentations (face or breech presentation), and shoulder dystocia also put the baby at risk of experiencing birth trauma and birth asphyxia.
- Hyperstimulation caused by Pitocin and Cytotec can also cause oxygen deprivation that gets progressively worse.
- Fetal stroke
- Postmaturity syndrome
- Placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Babies with IUGR typically do not tolerate labor very well.
Brain Injuries Such as Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) Can Cause Cerebral Palsy and Seizure Disorders
When a baby experiences a brain injury caused by birth asphyxia, infection or a brain bleed, the baby can have lifelong problems. Listed below are conditions that can be caused by brain insults that occur during or near the time of birth:
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): HIE usually involves damage to the basal ganglia, cerebral cortex or watershed regions of the brain, but it sometimes includes periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
- Neonatal encephalopathy
- Permanent brain damage
- Seizure disorders
- Cerebral palsy (CP)
- Intellectual disabilities
- Developmental delays
- Learning Disabilities
- Motor disorders
- Microcephaly
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
Award-Winning HIE Lawyers in Michigan Helping Children with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Cerebral Palsy, Seizures, and Other Birth Injuries
If you are seeking the help of a lawyer, it is very important to choose a lawyer and firm that focus solely on birth injury cases. Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers is a national birth injury law firm that has been helping children with birth injuries for almost 3 decades.
Michigan HIE lawyer Jesse Reiter, president of ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers, has been focusing solely on birth injury cases for over 28 years, and most of his cases involve hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy. Partners Jesse Reiter and Rebecca Walsh are currently recognized as being two of the best medical malpractice lawyers in America by U.S. News and World Report 2015, which also recognized ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers as one of the best medical malpractice law firms in the nation. The lawyers at ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers have won numerous awards for their advocacy of children and are members of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group (BTLG) and the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ).
If your child was diagnosed with a birth injury, such as cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), the award-winning birth injury lawyers at ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers can help. We have helped children throughout the country obtain compensation for lifelong treatment, therapy and a secure future, and we give personal attention to each child and family we represent. Our nationally recognized birth injury firm has numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements that attest to our success and no fees are ever paid to our firm until we win your case. Email or call Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers at 888-419-2229 for a free case evaluation. Our firm’s award-winning Michigan HIE lawyers are available 24 / 7 to speak with you.
Video: Michigan HIE Lawyers Discuss Birth Asphyxia and Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Watch a video of Michigan HIE lawyers Jesse Reiter and Rebecca Walsh discussing the causes of birth asphyxia and how the condition can cause HIE, cerebral palsy, seizures and other lifelong conditions.