Having a baby should be the most exciting moment in a family’s life. Still, when birth injuries occur, parents are confronted with a critical question: Who is the best Wilkes-Barre birth injury lawyer to represent them? Birth injuries, ranging from minor complications to severe life-altering conditions, not only impact the immediate health of a newborn but also emotional and financial challenges for families. A Wilkes-Barre birth injury lawyer’s expertise, experience, and empathy are critical in such delicate situations.
Munley Law has a track record of handling complex birth injury lawsuits, making it one of the best in Northeastern Pennsylvania. If you need legal representation for your child’s birth injury, call a Wilkes-Barre birth injury lawyer today for a free consultation.
Criteria for Choosing the Best Wilkes-Barre Birth Injury Lawyer
Selecting the best lawyer for a birth injury case in Wilkes-Barre requires careful consideration of several criteria:
Expertise and Proven Track Record in Birth Injury Law
Not all personal injury lawyers are equipped to handle birth injury claims. Your birth injury attorney needs a deep understanding of medical procedures, standards of care, and the specific legalities surrounding birth injuries. An attorney with medical malpractice and birth injury claim experience is more likely to navigate these complex cases successfully.
Take a look at the lawyer’s history in handling birth injury cases. Ask about their previous settlements or verdicts in similar cases to show their track record in securing compensation.
Client Testimonials and Reviews
Many lawyers will incorporate client testimonials on their websites so potential clients can gauge the firm’s ability and approach in handling similar cases.
Also, check out legal directories, which often include rating systems and the firm’s Google Business Profile. Social media platforms also give birth injury attorneys a place to highlight past client experiences, too.
Accessibility and Communication
When birth injuries happen, the family will go through one of the hardest times in their life. Knowing this, you need a birth injury attorney who will be easily accessible and communicative about the status of your case.
When your lawyer informs you, you can feel at ease knowing your case is handled appropriately.
Resources and Network
Due to the delicate nature of birth injuries, these cases often require additional resources to prove negligence. This includes a network of medical experts and investigators who can prove the lifelong impacts the negligence will have on the child and family’s life.
Ethical Reputation
When questions of medical ethics come into play, the last thing you want is a lawyer whose ethics you also question. Choose a lawyer with a strong, ethical reputation, as professional integrity is essential in handling sensitive birth injury claims.
Common Birth Injuries
A birth injury occurs when a newborn suffers injury or harm during the birthing process; this can be due to factors like the size or position of the baby but can also be due to medical negligence or errors.
Injuries can range from mild to severe, impacting the child’s life and the family’s emotional and financial well-being. Some of the most common birth injuries include:
- Cerebral Palsy: Considered one of the most serious birth injuries, cerebral palsy occurs due to oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain during birth. This condition affects muscle coordination and body movement and can result from medical negligence during labor and delivery.
- Brachial Plexus Injuries: Brachial plexus injuries occur to the network of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the arm, hand, and shoulder. Erb’s palsy, a form of brachial plexus injury, occurs due to excessive pulling on the baby’s head during delivery.
- Fractures: Collarbone or clavicle fractures are very common birth injuries that can happen during a difficult or mishandled birth process. Improper use of delivery tools like forceps or vacuum extractors often contributes to such injuries.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): HIE is a condition caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the baby’s brain. This can result in significant neurological impairments as a result of errors in monitoring and responding to fetal distress.
- Intracranial Hemorrhage: Also known as bleeding inside the skull, intracranial hemorrhage occurs due to trauma during birth. If not addressed immediately, it can result in life-long complications.
- Perinatal Asphyxia: If the baby does not receive enough oxygen before, during, or immediately after birth, they may suffer from perinatal asphyxia, which can cause neurological and physical issues.
- Meconium Aspiration Syndrome: If a newborn inhales a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid at the time of delivery, meconium aspiration syndrome can occur, causing severe breathing difficulties and other complications.
Birth injuries may also occur during the perinatal period if a condition was found during pregnancy but was not appropriately handled or prepared for by medical professionals before labor.
Role of Birth Injury Lawyers
Birth injury lawyers play a critical role in advocating for families affected by medical negligence during the birthing process. If a birth injury occurred due to improper treatment by hospital staff, a birth injury attorney can guide the family through a medical malpractice claim through the following:
Case Evaluation and Investigation
Birth injury lawyers will first evaluate the case to determine if there was medical negligence. This includes reviewing medical records, consulting with medical experts, and investigating the birth circumstances to establish if the injury was preventable and caused by a breach of standard medical care.
Legal Representation and Advocacy
If the lawyer can prove that the injuries resulted from medical neglect, they can then represent the affected families in legal proceedings. A medical malpractice lawyer will handle all aspects of the lawsuit, including filing the case, negotiating with insurance companies, and representing the family in court if necessary.
Consult with Medical Experts
Birth injury lawyers will tap into their network, including medical experts, to understand the complications of the birth and to gather evidence.
This expert testimony strengthens the case, demonstrating how proper medical care could have prevented the injury. Further, if it appears that evidence is missing from the hospital or other medical setting, the legal team can begin to find out the gaps in documentation and evaluate where records have gone.
Calculate and Pursue Compensation
Your lawyer will calculate the total value of your claim to ensure compensation for the family, which can cover medical expenses, ongoing care costs, pain and suffering, and other damages.
This financial support is crucial for families to manage the long-term implications of the injury.
Ensuring Accountability
Not only does your case protect your family, but it also builds protections for others to avoid similar complications.
Take Legal Action for Your Child’s Birth Injury Today. Call Munley Law.
Navigating the complexities of birth injury cases in Wilkes-Barre takes a law firm with experience. For decades, Munley Law has protected the rights of injury victims, including those suffering from birth injuries.
With their deep understanding of both the legal and medical aspects of these cases, Munley Law has established itself as a top choice for families seeking justice and compensation for birth injuries and medical malpractice.
Munley Law has a track record in successfully managing and winning birth injury cases. We’ve been recognized by Super Lawyers and our legal community for the work we do protecting the injured.
If you or a loved one has been affected by a birth injury and are seeking the best legal representation in Wilkes-Barre, call Munley Law to schedule a free consultation.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1170 PA-315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 399-0406
Wilkes-Barre Practice Areas
