Tag: birth injury lawyers maryland

Vacuum-Assisted Delivery And Birth Injury

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Sometimes, during the labor and delivery process, the baby needs a little help getting through the birth canal. Approximately 1 out of 20 vaginal deliveries in the United States result in some form of assistance being required. Prolonged labor can be dangerous to the baby as well as extremely painful and exhausting to the mother. Two common forms of assisted delivery, used by medical providers to when labor is stalled, are vacuum extraction and forceps delivery.

Vacuum extraction involves placing a small round cup on the baby’s head, which attaches to a vacuum pump creating suction to help guide the baby out of the birth canal. If performed incorrectly, suction during vacuum extraction can cause permanent and even life-threatening injuries, including: massive bleeding (hemorrhage and hypovolemic shock) beneath the scalp or within the brain (intracranial hemorrhage and encephalopathy); brain damage; skull fracture; and, retinal hemorrhage. Forceps delivery (another assisted delivery method), can also cause skull fractures, skull bleeding, and bruising on the baby’s head and face. These injuries have been known to cause permanent brain damage, neurological injuries and more specifically, cerebral palsy (CP).

In the hands of an inexperienced or untrained physician, a vacuum-assisted or forceps-assisted delivery can cause you and your child serious and permanent injuries. The cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy, or any birth injury, is very high. If your child’s birth injury was caused by a complication during vacuum-assisted or forceps-assisted delivery, contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). When you call, you will speak with an experienced Baltimore Medical Malpractice attorney absolutely FREE.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case. The attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced, caring professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call us today to receive a free, confidential consultation about your possible case. A The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

 

Group B Strep Infection Causing Birth Injury

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Group B streptococcus (GBS), is a bacterium that can cause serious infections in newborn babies. It is one of many types of streptococcal bacteria, commonly referred to as “strep.” Approximately one in three to four pregnant women in the US carries GBS. It is found in the lower part of the digestive system (colon) and/or in the vagina.

GBS is not harmful to healthy adults but is extremely dangerous for newborn infants when found in pregnant women. Signs and symptoms of neonatal GBS are often very difficult to detect. Newborns who are infected with GBS can develop pneumonia (lung infection), sepsis and septic shock (systemic infection, with or without organ failure), meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), and septicemia (blood infection).

Complications associated with neonatal GBS can be prevented by giving an intravenous antibiotic during labor to any woman whose baby is at risk of GBS infection. These women can be identified by bacteriological screening, involving taking swabs from the vagina and rectum, or by risk-factor-based screening. All pregnant women should be screened for GBS.

Your newborn baby is at risk of GBS infection if, during your pregnancy:

  • You have a urine culture during your current pregnancy showing GBS
  • You have a vaginal and rectal swab culture during your current pregnancy showing GBS
  • You had a prior pregnancy during which you or your baby had GBS

Therefore, it is important that your medical provider tests for this type of infection to avoid an otherwise preventable birth injury. If GBS is diagnosed and not treated during pregnancy, it is medical negligence.

If you or a loved one feel you are the victim of a medical mistake contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). When you call, you will speak with an experienced Baltimore Medical Malpractice attorney absolutely FREE.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

Kernicterus

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Despite advances in neonatal care, preventable injuries to newborns are still prevalent in the United States. Jaundice, a common medical condition in infants, is characterized by yellow tinting of a newborn’s skin and the whites of the eyes (conjunctiva). This yellowing is a sign that there is too much bilirubin (a substance formed by the breakdown of red blood cells) in the baby’s blood. Although most jaundice resolves without causing any harm, it is important that bilirubin levels are carefully monitored in all babies with jaundice because bilirubin is a toxic substance that can rise to dangerous levels in infants.

If severe jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia) is not treated, it can lead to serious lifelong problems such as kernicterus. Kernicterus is a type of permanent brain damage that occurs in a newborn when bilirubin builds up to very high levels and spreads to the baby’s brain, where it infiltrates brain tissue and causes damaging swelling of the brain (encephalopathy). Kernicterus, also called acute bilirubin encephalopathy, causes permanent brain damage that could have otherwise been prevented.

Symptoms of kernicterus can include:

  • Extreme sleepiness and lethargy (the baby may have difficulty waking up or can’t be kept awake, does not respond to touching or does not startle from sudden movements).
  • A very abnormal, high-pitched cry.
  • Poor muscle tone – the baby may seem “floppy” and weak.
  • A fever that occurs along with any of these other symptoms.

Approximately 60% of term, and 80% of pre-term, babies develop jaundice in the first week of life and about 10% of breastfed babies are still jaundiced at 1 month of age. Therefore, it is imperative that jaundice is properly recognized, monitored (a simple blood test identifies the baby’s bilirubin level) and treated as soon as possible (typically with phototherapy and, if necessary, blood transfusions), before it develops into kernicterus. If the symptoms of hyperbilirubinemia or kernicterus are not recognized and treated by medical staff, it is medical negligence.

Our experienced attorneys fight for individuals who have been negatively impacted by the negligence of others.  If you would like to discuss your child’s potential claim arising from a brain injury, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination.  For a free consultation, please call us at 1-800-YOSTLAW.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

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Cerebral palsy (CP) occurs in nearly 1 in every 500 births, making it is the most prevalent cause of motor function impairment. A disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture, CP is a neurological condition caused by brain damage which is usually suffered before, during or soon after a baby is born. CP may also cause seizure disorder (epilepsy), swallowing, speech and eye movement problems, and can cause intellectual disabilities.  Premature birth significantly increases an infant’s risk of CP.  There are several different types of CP, with each type classified according to the type of body movement and posture problem present. Ataxic cerebral palsy is the rarest type of cerebral palsy and involves the entire body.

Ataxic CP causes problems with:

  • Balance
  • Precise Movements (may reach too far or too close to touch objects)
  • Coordination (may walk with feet unusually far apart)
  • Hand control (may have trouble buttoning clothing, writing or using scissors)

If there is birth trauma during labor and delivery, it is possible for the baby to suffer from a brain injury due to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen. Medical staff is expected to monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate to ensure the safety of the baby and avoid birth injury. Medical negligence in this area could be the reason why you child suffers from cerebral palsy.

Motor functioning impairment greatly affects quality of life. Additionally, the cost of care for a child with brain damage is high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake at birth, or caused by an extremely premature birth which healthcare providers negligently failed to prevent (such as a failure to diagnose and treat preeclampsia), the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

 

Fetal Acidosis

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Before a baby is born, the fetus is completely dependent on the mother’s blood supply to receive oxygen and nutrients. These necessities are delivered from mother to child through the umbilical cord and placenta. If proper care is not taken by a medical professional during the labor and delivery process, the baby’s oxygen supply can become compromised. When a baby is suffering from oxygen deprivation, brain cells begin to die off and brain damage can be irreversible.

Fetal acidosis is a symptom of serious brain injuries caused by a severe lack of oxygen to a baby during labor and delivery (such as, Cerebral Palsy (CP), Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), and seizure disorders). Fetal acidosis is diagnosed by a lab test, (blood cord gas test) performed in the first few minutes of a newborn’s life, analyzing the pH level of the blood drawn from the umbilical cord artery and veins.  If the pH level of the cord blood sample is 7.0 or less, the baby has a low (acidic) cord pH and is diagnosed with fetal acidosis.  A low cord pH at birth is one of the most common indicators of a baby’s lack of oxygen during labor and delivery.

Birth injuries due to low oxygen supply (hypoxia) or no oxygen supply (anoxia, or asphyxiation) can be avoided by good medical care during labor and delivery, including routine monitoring of the baby (fetal movement and heart rate), the mother’s vital signs (maternal heart rate and maternal blood pressure), and uterine contractions during labor (how long the contractions last, how strong the contractions are and how close together the contractions occur).

If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy at Birth

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Spastic cerebral palsy is a permanent loss of muscle control caused by an injury to the brain resulting from a variety of causes, one of which is a lack of oxygen to the baby during labor and delivery.

Spastic CP is characterized by involuntary movement of the arms and legs, uncontrolled muscle spasms and can also affect the muscles controlling speech and swallowing.  Spastic CP can affect all four limbs, neck and torso (tetraplegia), both arms and both legs (quadriplegia), or only one arm or leg (monoplegia) but most commonly affects the arm and leg on one side of the body, only (hemiplegia).  Less commonly, spastic quadriplegia can affect three limbs (triplegia).

Poor coordination and balance, a complete inability to relax tightened muscles, difficulty walking, talking and eating are all common complications of spastic CP.  For those who suffer from this neurological disorder, affected joints become very stiff and hard to move.  Over time, the affected arms or legs may become extremely painful and interfere with the ability to function independently or even to sit in a comfortable position

Birth injuries, such as spastic cerebral palsy, can be the direct result of medical negligence.  It is important for medical providers to consistently monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate to identify if the baby is experiencing a lack of oxygen during the entire course of labor and delivery. If a complication, such as a very low (bradycardia) or very high (tachycardia) fetal heart rate is identified in a timely manner, medical providers can respond immediately to fetal distress.  A baby’s lack of oxygen during labor and delivery is an obstetrical emergency and can result in permanent brain injury such as spastic CP.

There are a number of treatments available for the management of spastic CP. However, the cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy, or any brain damage, is very high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

Placenta Previa and Hypoxic Brain Injury

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Placenta previa occurs when the placenta lies low in the uterus and partially or completely covers the cervix.  When this happens, the placenta is lying between the fetus and the birth canal, effectively blocking the baby’s delivery. Although placenta previa is quite common in the early weeks and months of pregnancy, it typically resolves as the pregnancy progresses and the placenta moves up and away from the cervix as the uterus expands.

However, placenta previa does not always resolve itself. It affects about 1 in 200 births, at which time it can create the risk of severe bleeding (hemorrhage) in the mother and lack of oxygen to the baby (hypoxia). When placenta previa is present near the end of pregnancy it almost always requires cesarean (c-section) delivery of the baby.

Placenta previa should always be suspected when bright red vaginal bleeding occurs during pregnancy, at which time an ultrasound should be ordered and the condition can be diagnosed by the ultrasound images.  If ultrasound confirms placenta previa is the cause of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, the proper course of treatment is to admit the patient to the hospital for monitoring and bedrest. If the bleeding does not stop, or if the fetal heartrate monitor indicates the baby is in distress, the pregnant mother will remain hospitalized and may receive blood transfusions and other treatments until the baby is delivered.

Lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain due to a ruptured placenta previa can cause serious brain damage. Birth asphyxia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy are brain injuries that are caused by oxygen deprivation. The treatment for these complications is limited due to the fact that most brain damage is permanent.

Our experienced attorneys fight for individuals who have been negatively impacted by the negligence of others.  If you would like to discuss your family’s potential claim arising from a placenta previa birth injury, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. For a free consultation, please call us at 1-800-YOSTLAW.

ERB’S PALSY

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Welcoming a new baby into the world can be one of the happiest days of your life. The most important and desired outcome on that special day is of course, a safe delivery, free of any harm to the baby and mother.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

A birth injury, characterized by damage to a baby’s brain or body function due to a harmful event that occurred at birth, may be the result of a medical mistake. Erb’s palsy, a disorder sometimes referred to as shoulder dystocia or brachial plexus palsy, is the result of damage to some, but not all, of the nerves which form the brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves responsible for moving the shoulder, arm, wrist and fingers.  Most typically, the Erb’s Palsy injury is a “stretch injury” (neuropraxia), but sometimes the injury involves torn nerve fibers, a completely torn nerve (nerve rupture) or, a nerve root torn from the spinal cord (nerve avulsion).  Erb’s Palsy is very often caused when the baby has been unnaturally or too forcefully pulled, twisted or jerked by a medical provider during the delivery period.

This harmful mistake causes significant injuries to the baby’s neck, injuring nerve roots C5 and C6, with C7 also affected in 50% of instances. Evident signs that a newborn has suffered an injury related to Erb’s palsy are as followed:

  • Inability to move arm or shoulder
  • Arm hangs limp with wrist and hand turned inward
  • Weak or absent reflexes
  • Decreased grip strength

If left untreated, Erb’s palsy may lead to:

  • Partial or full paralysis of arm and shoulder
  • Limited growth of the arm and hand
  • Permanent arm weakness and numbness
  • Deteriorating muscles (Muscle atrophy)

Although it may be possible for Erb’s palsy to resolve completely in the first year the infant’s life, no child should have to experience these devastating circumstances. Furthermore, if proper care is not administered after the preventable birth injury took place, your child may be permanently disabled.

If your child’s injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free.

If we take your case, our legal team will investigate every detail surrounding your child’s birth injury and will help provide the answers you seek. Lastly, at The Yost Legal Group, you will never pay an attorney’s fee unless we achieve a recovery for you. We don’t get paid until you do.

BLADDER INJURY DURING C-SECTION DELIVERY

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The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reports that Cesarean section (C-section) is the most common surgery performed in the United States. With more than 30% of deliveries resulting in caesarian section, it is important to be aware of childbirth-related injuries to the mother. Although surgery carries risks, bladder injury during cesarean delivery can be a direct result of medical negligence. A negligence claim related to C-section bladder damage may be filed for a number of reasons.

For example, if:

  • Injury, such as bladder laceration and/or ureter transection, occurs during the operation, but is not identified at the time of operation
  • The proper protocol was not taken for a woman who has had a cesarean section before (patients with prior cesarean deliveries are at significant risk for bladder injury at the time of the repeat cesarean delivery)
  • Timing of cesarean delivery was not properly handled by doctors (cesarean section performed at the time of the second stage of labor carries a significant risk for bladder injury)

The most common injury at the time of either obstetric or gynecologic surgery, such as a C-section, is a urologic injury, with the bladder being the most frequently damaged organ. Though not life-threatening when discovered at the time of the C-section, a bladder injury can be an extremely painful and unpleasant experience and lead to permanent injury such as loss of bladder retention, loss of bladder control,  urine leakage and a neurogenic bladder.  Treatment may require continuous bladder drainage through the use of a catheter and subsequent surgical procedures including fistula repair and bladder augmentation surgery.

If the bladder injury caused during a C-section is not discovered at the time of the C-section, the repair of the injury is delayed and this delay can be life-threatening.  If the bladder or ureters have been cut during C-section, serious symptoms will occur within just a few hours following the C-section, including blood in the urine, bloating of the abdomen, abdominal pain, abnormal urinalysis results (elevated BUN and creatinine levels) and infection, including peritonitis and sepsis, may develop.

If you or a loved one has experienced bladder complications during a cesarean section as a result of medical negligence, call The Yost Legal Group right away. If you have been a victim of a medical mistake, there is a limited time to file your claim. Call 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) today to speak with an experienced Baltimore Birth Injury attorney for FREE.

When you call The Yost Legal Group, Baltimore, Maryland Medical Malpractice and Birth Injury law firm, you will speak with an experienced, compassionate attorney that will help you understand the details of your case and provide the answers you need.

When you trust The Yost Legal Group to represent you, we will never charge an attorney’s fee unless we achieve a recovery for you.

Every mother has the right to a safe, healthy and extraordinary childbirth experience. If your pregnancy had a bad outcome, call The Yost Legal Group today.

 

 

Head Injuries From Athletics is a Serious Matter

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The Fall is here, which means so is football season. Recently, the Baltimore Ravens played the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately, the Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown left the game briefly during the first quarter due to a head injury he sustained when tackled by Ravens player Darian Stewart.

While Brown was able to return to the game after passing concussion protocol, it is important to note that he is one of the lucky ones. Sometimes, head injuries are life threatening, and often times, severe symptoms do not progress until a lot of time has passed after the injury occurred.

The experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys at The Yost Legal Group have represented too many people affected by similar injuries at no fault of their own.

The leading cause of traumatic brain injuries are falls; however, they can be caused by a multitude of factors, including car accidents, sports injuries, defective products and medical malpractice.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acquired injury occurring when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can be the outcome when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the scull and enters brain tissue.

Symptoms of TBI can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain.

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury can include but are not limited to the following:

–          Headache
–          Confusion
–          Dizziness
–          Blurred vision
–          Ringing in ears
–          Bad taste in mouth
–          Fatigue
–          Memory loss
–          Nausea
–          Convulsions
–          Slurred speech
–          Loss of coordination
–          Confusion

Little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by a trauma. Medical personnel will try to stabilize TBI victims and focus on preventing further injury. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately half of traumatic brain injury victims will need surgery to repair hematomas (ruptured blood vessels) or contusions (bruised brain tissue). Often times this will leave patients and their families ill-equipped to cope with the medical, financial and legal issues stemming from such serious injuries.

The dedicated traumatic brain injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group work closely with victims to help them get a proper diagnosis and pursue the full amount of compensation for their financial needs. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, The Yost Legal Group can help.

Have you or a family member suffered a traumatic brain injury? TBI victims and their families may be entitled to pursue a claim to recover out-of-pocket medical expenses, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, punitive damages and long-term care.

The Yost Legal Group is experienced in helping individuals and families who are victims of traumatic brain injury and medical malpractice. The Yost Legal Group has the experience to investigate your case, determine what negligence was involved and fight to protect your right to full and fair compensation.

If you or a family member has suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident, contact the experienced, caring attorneys at The Yost Legal Group. The experienced Baltimore Maryland traumatic brain injury lawyers, will work hard to investigate the facts surrounding your situation, get to the truth and see that justice is served.

We are here solely to help you and your family seek the justice and the compensation you need to help care for the needs of your family member with a traumatic brain injury.

Contact The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-Yost-Law (1-800-967-8529) to speak with an experienced Traumatic Brain Injury attorney for free. One of our experienced lawyers will work hard to protect your rights and handle all of the details surrounding your case. If someone was at fault, we will fight to get you the compensation and the justice you deserve.

To find out more about your rights, please contact the experienced and knowledgeable traumatic brain injury attorneys at The Yost Legal Group.

The Yost Legal Group, Experienced Lawyers Dedicated to Protecting your Rights.

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