The birth of your child is one of the most important events in your life. It is a time of joy and excitement. Yet, every year, thousands of newborns come into this world with birth defects. Some of these birth defects, unfortunately, are the result of injuries caused by the negligence by a doctor, or a hospital and its staff.

The medical personnel that are responsible for ensuring that your baby is born safely are expected to provide a standard of care called for by their profession. When a doctor or other health care provider deviates from this reasonable standard of care, causing an injury to the baby, they can be held liable for their professional negligence.

For example, prior to delivery, a doctor performs an ultrasound of a baby which shows that the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck, cutting off the flow of oxygen to the baby's brain, and further, the doctor fails to take any immediate action to unwrap the cord. If the baby suffers brain damage or even death, the doctor can be held responsible for these injuries caused by the umbilical cord.

Birth injuries are devastating to a family. Most injuries involving the brain are irreversible. Examples of these are paralysis, cerebral palsy, learning disorders, and speech disorders. While a child will have to live with the consequences of a negligently inflicted birth injury, a family will have to learn to adjust to the needs of the child. Sometimes the life-long care required by an injured newborn is incredibly expensive.

If you believe your baby has been injured as a result of negligent conduct by a doctor, hospital or other healthcare provider, call (312) 399-8988 or contact us online for a free evaluation of your case.