Though you may be able to safely deliver your baby naturally, you must prepare for the possibility of a cesarean section, otherwise known as a C-section. Unfortunately, there are risks with a C-section, especially on the off chance that your doctor acts negligently. Continue reading to learn how a C-section injury can affect you and your child and how one of the experienced New York City C-section injury attorneys at Mark L. Bodner, P.C. can help you navigate this situation.
How can a C-section injury impact my child?
If you are attempting to deliver your baby naturally but you are experiencing serious complications, then your doctor must act diligently and send you to emergency C-section surgery. If your doctor acts negligently instead, then your baby may suffer from serious injuries. A similar series of events may occur if your doctor carelessly makes mistakes while performing your emergency C-section surgery.
One of the most common birth injuries for infants is brachial plexus injuries. This injury occurs when a baby’s shoulders are too wide and get stuck in the birth canal, which may ultimately lead to serious nerve damage. Other injuries that may arise include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Brain damage.
- Broken bones.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Erb’s palsy.
- Lacerations to the skin.
- Problems with breathing.
How can a C-section injury impact me?
Though your baby is your number one priority, you must be concerned about how a C-section injury can affect you. That is, any type of injury may restrict your ability to care for your baby. Examples of injuries include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Adverse reactions due to anesthesia.
- Blood clots.
- Postpartum hemorrhage.
- Other surgical injuries.
Of note, you may also incur an injury after your C-section surgery. This may occur if your doctor fails to properly treat the surgical site and it gets infected.
Can I sue for my injuries?
Regardless of whether you or your baby suffer from a C-section injury, your family may be subject to lifelong medical bills and other long-term damages. So you may want to consider holding your negligent doctor accountable and filing a medical malpractice claim against them.
For your claim, you will have to prove that your doctor breached their duty of care by neglecting to order a necessary, emergency C-section. Or, you may argue that their carelessness during surgery caused you and your child to incur injuries that were otherwise preventable. You may prove this with medical documents, witness testimonies, and other pieces of evidence. And you may only have two and a half years from your delivery date to bring your claim forward.
With all that being said, we recommend that you consult with a skilled New York City birth injury attorney as soon as possible. Schedule your initial consultation with us today.