Maryland Birth Injury Attorneys

Fighting For Birth Injury Victims in Maryland

At Potter Law, LLC, our Maryland birth injury lawyers understands the depth of family trauma you may be experiencing in such cases. We know that little can compensate for your emotional suffering, your worry, and your uncertainty about the future. Pregnancy and childbirth is an exciting time. It should lead to some of the happiest moments in your life with memories you will treasure forever. However, in some cases, this most important event can lead to shock, grief, doubt, uncertainty, and prolonged emotional pain.

That can unfortunately occur when complications from childbirth and delivery leave infants injured, traumatized, or permanently disabled. These conditions can result in the need for lifelong care or even death. Such events leave parents unprepared, hurting, and in often desperate need of help. It leads to entire extended families experiencing overwhelming physical, emotional, and financial hardships. The failure on the part of medical professionals to recognize and treat serious birth-related injuries can lead to a lifetime of expensive medical care.

Our Maryland birth injury attorneys are here to acknowledge that pain and to help you find legal ways to ensure that your child has the medical care needed for as long as it is needed, even if that is a lifetime. In some cases, maybe nothing can reverse the damage your child has endured but, through a successful birth injury lawsuit, your child may have a better chance of leading a constructive and happy life than otherwise.

Need legal help in the wake of a birth injury? Contact Potter Law, LLC online or at (301) 820-7820 to schedule a free consultation.

Understanding Birth Injuries and Medical Negligence in Maryland

Birth injuries happen by accident and can be prevented. This is the key distinction between a birth injury and a birth defect, which is often described as a health issue that is inherited and unavoidable. But what causes birth injuries?

More often than not, birth injuries are caused by a medical practitioner’s negligence. Doctors, nurses, surgeons, pediatricians, obstetricians, and more all owe a pregnant mother and her unborn child care that meets the utmost standards of practice.

What might be seen as a simple mistake on the surface can actually be a terrible act of medical negligence that forever changes a child’s life.

Common Negligent Acts Leading to Birth Injuries

• Brain injury (this can include cerebral palsy)
• Brachial plexus (this can include Erb’s palsy)
• Kernicterus resulting from jaundice
• Spasticity
• Paralysis
• Meconium aspiration
• Excessive and abnormal breathing
• Infections
• Subcutaneous bleeding beneath the scalp
• Subdermal bleeding inside the skull
• Bruising resulting from forceps
• Internal skull fractures
• Clavicle fractures and resulting trauma
• Cranial nerve trauma
• Hypoxia
• Traumatic spinal cord damage
• Irreversible facial paralysis
• Skin irritations and dermis reactions
• Soft tissue injuries. This can include muscles, ligaments, and tendons
• Stillbirth after the 20^th week of pregnancy

Determining the level of care needed as well as a financial solution for specialized care can be a daunting prospect for parents, especially during such a difficult time.

If your child has suffered preventable birth injuries, the compensation you may receive from a lawsuit might be the only realistic option to providing the medical services and supervised care your child deserves. To maximize your child’s recovery and quality of life, we recommend that you turn to our trusted and proven litigators.

What Damages Could Be Recovered in a Birth Injury Claim?

Birth injuries can have a very devastating and lifelong consequences for both the child and their family. When seeking a birth injury claim in Maryland, there are various types of damages that may be recovered:

• Medical Expenses: This includes all previous and future medical expenses related to the birth injury, like hospital stays, surgeries, medications, therapy, and assistive devices.
• Lost Income: If the child's injury requires ongoing care or results in a disability that prevents them from working in the future, compensation may be sought for lost earning capacity.
• Pain and Suffering: Birth injuries can cause physical pain and emotional distress for the child and their family. Compensation may be available to address these intangible losses.
• Disability and Impairment: If the child sustains a permanent disability or impairment as a result of the birth injury, they could be entitled to compensation for the impact it has on their quality of life and ability to complete daily activities.
• Punitive Damages: In the cases of extreme negligence or misconduct by medical professionals, punitive damages could be awarded to penalize the responsible party and deter similar behavior in the future.

What is the Statute of Limitations for a Birth Injury Claim in Maryland?

The statute of limitations is the time limit within which a lawsuit must be filed after the injury occurs. In the state of Maryland, the statute of limitations for birth injury claims is generally three years from the date of the child's birth.

However, there are exceptions to this rule, particularly in cases where the injury is not immediately noticeable or if the injured party is a minor. In such situations, the statute of limitations may be extended, but it is still essential to take prompt action to protect your legal rights.

Delaying action can jeopardize your ability to recover compensation for your child's injuries. That's why it's crucial to consult with our experienced Maryland birth injury attorney as soon as possible to ensure that your claim is filed within the applicable time frame.

How Our Maryland Birth Injury Attorneys Can Help Your Family

A birth injury lawyer can deal directly with insurance companies, medical providers, and defense lawyers on your behalf so that you can focus on your attention to your family. Here are some of the ways a lawyer can help:

• Avoid lowball settlement offers.
• Take over communications on your behalf.
• File your birth injury lawsuit.
• Build your evidence-based case.
• Fight for a fair settlement.

Contact Our Birth Injury Attorney in Maryland Today

Do you suspect that your infant may have suffered a birth injury or birth trauma? At Potter Law, LLC, our birth injury and malpractice attorneys can assist you in determining whether your child was injured due to medical negligence.

If your baby was harmed because of negligent medical care, you have the right to compensation. Our legal team has worked with a number of insurance companies over the years on birth injury and birth trauma cases that resulted in a medical negligence settlement.

Insurance companies are notorious for treating you like a statistic and attempting to get you to settle for less. Let us use our experience, knowledge, and resources to help you pursue the settlement your family deserves.

Informative Articles on Birth Injuries

Recommended Reading:

• If My Child Suffered A Birth Injury, How Do I Know If A Medical Mistake Was Made?
• Birth Injury: Bleeding Around the Brain
• Common Types of Birth Injuries
• Birth Injury Explained: Shoulder Dystocia
• Birth Injury: What Is Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)?
• Birth Injury: Cerebral Palsy
• Birth Injury: Soft Tissue and Skin

Contact our Maryland birth injury lawyers online or at (301) 820-7820 to get started today.