New York Injury or Death of Mother During Childbirth

Childbirth is a natural process. However, it is also complicated. There are many things that can go wrong, putting both the mother and baby at risk for a serious injury or even death. It is emotionally traumatic for a family to welcome a baby and at the same time have to face the news that the mother is in a serious condition or passed away due to complications that occurred during labor and delivery. The family wants and deserves answers. If you were seriously injured during childbirth, or if a family member passed away from injuries suffered during childbirth, contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer to discuss your case. We will review the medical records to determine if medical negligence was involved and led to the injury or death of mother during childbirth.

While complications can arise during pregnancy and delivery that are not the fault of the doctor, the doctor should understand any risks based on the mother’s prior medical and personal history, and take steps to avoid injury or death of mother during childbirth. In the event that there is a complication, the doctor should quickly diagnose it and take appropriate steps to treat it. Common complications that can result in a serious injury or death to the mother during childbirth include:

• Placenta previa: Placenta previa is pregnancy complicated that involves the placenta covering all or part of the cervix. As a result, there may be bleeding. Risk factors of placenta previa include the mother being over 35, smoking, cocaine use, multiple fetus, and prior uterine surgery. If any of these risk factors are present, the doctor should carefully monitor the mother for placenta previa. It can be diagnosed with an ultrasound. Failure to diagnose placenta previa can result in unchecked massive hemorrhaging, that could lead to shock or death. Depending on the stage of pregnancy and the amount of bleeding, the treatment for placenta previa may be bed rest, transfusions, or immediately delivering the baby.
• Placental abruption: A placental abruption occurs when prior to delivery the placenta detaches from the uterus. Like placenta previa, placental abruption can lead to serious bleeding, and put the mother at serious risk. Treatment of placental abruption may be blood transfusion as well as immediate delivery of the baby. Placental abruption can require the mother to undergo a hysterectomy. It can also lead to a blood clotting disorder, shock, and kidney failure.
• Uterine rupture: A uterine rupture is a tear in the wall of the uterus. Risk factors include uterine scarring from a prior uterine surgery such as a c-section or fibroid surgery. A uterine rupture may also be caused by contraction inducing medication that results in excessive contractions. The result can be excessive bleeding. If the doctor is not able to stop the bleeding, a hysterectomy may be required. Treatment includes a blood transfusion or immediate delivery of the baby via c-section.

While placenta previa, placental abruption, and uterine rupture put pose a risk for injury or death of mother during childbirth, they are also very dangerous for the baby. Because emergency delivery may be required, the delivery may be preterm, putting the baby at risk for complications related to premature birth. The baby is also at risk for oxygen deprivation which can lead to a serious birth injury such as brain damage.

As a skilled birth injury attorney in New York will explain, obstetricians and other medical professionals charged with the care of a pregnant woman must be aware of issues in her medical or personal history that put her at risk of suffering a life-threatening complication. Ignoring a risk factor may have tragic consequences. While some consequences are unavoidable, there are also instances in which the doctor could have taken steps that would have prevented an injury or death. A careful review of medical records will help provide evidence as to whether or not medical negligence was involved.

If it is determined that the medical staff responsible for your care was negligent, then you have the right to pursue damages based on medical malpractice. With the help of a skilled New York attorney with experienced filing medical malpractice claims, you may be able to recover substantial damages for the medical expense related to your injury, lost income, and pain and suffering.

If a family member passed away, you may have the right to pursue compensation based on a wrongful death lawsuit. Recoverable damages include loss of economic support, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.

If you believe that you have a medical malpractice lawsuit against your doctor based on medical negligence that lead to the injury or death of mother during childbirth, it is important that you are represented by an attorney in New York who has the knowledge and resources to ensure that your rights are protected. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates have decades of experience successfully representing clients who sustained serious injuries due to the negligence of medical professionals. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.