New York Neurological Visual Impairment

Neurological Visual Impairment is a birth injury that can occur as a result of an injury to the areas of the brain that are responsible for sight. The result of such an injury can be significant or slight blindness as well as other types of visual impairment. Brain damage during labor and delivery can be the result of a variety of complications related to poor oxygenation or direct trauma to the brain. Sadly, as New York neurological visual impairment attorneys with years of experienced we know that in far too many cases brain injuries that lead to vision impairment are caused by mistakes made by doctors and other medical professionals. If your baby suffered vision loss and you believe it was caused by the negligent actions of your doctor, we are here to help. We will review your medical records to determine if medical negligence occurred, and we will explain to your legal options.

Neurological visual impairment in newborns is caused by damage to the visual cortex during labor or delivery. The common causes of neurological visual impairment include:

• Lack of oxygenation
• Hydrocephalus. Also referred to as “water on the brain,” hydrocephalus is the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid, which can lead to many forms of brain damage.
• Head injury. Head trauma during childbirth can be caused by the negligent use of forceps or vacuum extraction.
• Infection. Infections that attack the central nervous system such as meningitis or encephalitis can lead to brain damage.

Children with neurological visual impairment may have a slight loss of vision, or they may have a significant loss of vision. The extent of the vision loss may change from day to day. The condition makes it difficult for children to understand what their eyes see. Thus, they often see better when they are told what to expect to see. In addition, children with neurological visual impairment sometimes have poor depth perception, have better peripheral vision than central vision, and may have sensitivity to light.

Children with neurological visual impairment frequently often also have developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy. In fact, most children with cerebral palsy also have neurological visual impairment.

While some children see improvement in their visual ability, in most cases neurological visual impairment is a chronic condition. Children with neurological visual impairment will require therapy and treatment for the rest of their lives.

As a skilled neurological visual impairment attorney in New York will explain, if your baby suffered NIV as a result of medical negligence, you have the right to file a claim for medical malpractice against the negligent doctor and demand compensation. In order to prevail in a medical malpractice lawsuit, you must show that your doctor was negligent. In other words, your doctor’s care must have deviated from the type of care that a competent doctor would provide. You also must prove that your doctor’s negligence was the cause of your child’s injuries.

If you prevail in your medical malpractice claim, you may be awarded significant compensation to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To ensure that you have the best chance of success in your claim, contact an experienced New York neurological visual impairment attorney.

The neurological visual impairment attorneys serving New York at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates have years of experience successfully representing clients who have suffered serious injuries at the hands of negligent doctors and other negligent healthcare professionals. If you believe that your child’s vision impairment was caused because of medical negligence, we are here to help. 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.