Chicago Birth Injury Attorneys

Skilled and Compassionate Infant Injury and Death Lawyers in Chicago, Illinois

Infant injuries and death can be some of the most challenging medical malpractice cases to pursue. When a child suffers an injury at birth, it is often difficult to determine the cause. To make matters worse, some birth injuries are not discovered until several weeks, months or even years later. The medical costs for the care of an injured newborn are expensive and ongoing, and many parents never fully recover from the emotional toll of the injury. If you have a child that has suffered a birth injury, it is important to ensure the responsible parties are held accountable, so you can receive full compensation.

For nearly 20 years, Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC has represented numerous parents of children who have suffered infant injuries or death in Chicago, throughout Illinois and around the country. Our award-winning attorneys have extensive experience with these types of cases, and we put that experience to work to provide the skilled representation you deserve. We work closely with investigators, doctors and other professionals to gather all the important facts of the case, so we can put our clients in the best possible position to obtain a favorable resolution. We also keep in close contact with our clients, providing ongoing updates so you always know how your case is progressing.

Common Types of Infant Injuries

Newborns can be affected by a wide range of injuries. Some of the most common include:

• Cerebral Palsy: A neurological disorder resulting from a brain injury that adversely impacts muscle coordination and other body movements.
• Brachial Plexus/Erb's Palsy: Nerve damage in the shoulder area that restricts movement (and in the most severe cases causes paralysis) in the hands and arms.
• Facial Paralysis: Severe (paralyzing) nerve damage in the seventh cranial nerve (the nerve which controls facial movements).
• Bone Fractures: Complications during delivery can lead to fractures of various bones throughout the body. Heavy monitoring is required, especially with higher risk patients, to prevent this from occurring.
• Compartment Syndrome: Increased pressure within one (or more) of the compartments of the body that contain the muscles and nerves. Among newborns, forearm compartment syndrome can sometimes occur due to the forearm being stuck in the birth canal.
• Wrongful Death: Medical malpractice can lead to the wrongful death of the infant and/or the mother.

Which Patients are at Risk of Infant Injuries?

Failure to adequately monitor the mother and infant before, during and after delivery is a common cause of birth injuries. There are some circumstances when there are greater risks and the patient should be watched more carefully, because failure to diagnose can have long-term consequences. These include:

• Mothers with a history of past complications during pregnancy;
• Mothers with a small pelvis size and/or abnormal pelvis shape;
• Excessive weight gain, resulting in unusually large babies at the time of delivery;
• Premature babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy;
• Babies born in abnormal positions, such as in a feet first (breech) position;
• Deliveries that employ the use of potentially dangerous instruments such as a vacuum extractor or forceps.

Infant injuries are traumatic both for the newborn as well as the family, birth injuries can forever alter the life of a child and its family. The burden to pay for medical care and make all the necessary adjustments to raise a child with a serious health condition can last for the life of the child. Sadly, birth injuries can also lead to the death of a newborn which is extremely traumatic for everyone in the family and its effect is difficult to move on from.

Contact Our Chicago Birth Injury Attorneys

At Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC, we understand the toll birth injuries take on you and your family, and we fight hard to ensure you receive the just compensation you deserve. For a free consultation with one of our experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorneys, contact our office today at 312-236-6324. From our offices in Chicago, we provide experienced counsel and representation for victims of infant injuries and death in communities throughout Illinois and across the country.