Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Birth Injury and Doctor Malpractice Attorneys

Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman, PC - Birth Injury Team

Two Penn Center Plaza 1500 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1410 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 USA

 (215) 268-7473 or (877) 419-0945
 (215) 563-6617

www.birthinjuryinfo.org
 Contact the Firm

Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

The Birth Injury Team is a subsidiary of Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman, P.C., made up of experienced birth injury attorneys and medical professionals. They are dedicated to serving the needs of parents and family members of children with birth injuries. Using their extensive legal and medical knowledge, they assist parents in understanding their child's birth injury and taking action to provide the proper care throughout his or her life.

Our birth injury lawyers have more than 100 years of combined legal experience handling birth injury cases. We have represented parents in cases involving everything from pregnancy complications and delivery errors, to the failure to prevent injuries in high-risk pregnancies. We are assisted by a team of medical professionals with extensive knowledge of birth injuries and who can provide valuable insight into the cause and long-term effects of the birth injury or defect. Our role is to guide parents through the process of obtaining the justice they deserve.

Our lawyers work closely with an experienced group of medical professionals. These specialists assist in understanding how the birth injury happened and the long-term effects of the injury on a child's health. Should a birth injury develop into a medical malpractice lawsuit, our specialists provide medical testimony to strengthen your case against the negligent hospitals, doctors and nursing staff who contributed to your child's harm.

Practice Areas

Practice Areas Description

- Hospital Malpractice

Failure to hire competent staff or the failure to properly train and manage staff can lead to devastating injuries, illness, disease and even wrongful death. For example, if a nurse employed by the hospital fails to check vital signs of an unborn baby, the baby could experience fetal distress without anyone being aware of the problem. Or, if a technician fails to notice problems during a prenatal ultrasound, the hospital may be held liable for the mistake and any resulting birth complications.

- Doctor Malpractice

It is important to note that doctors cannot be held liable for basic human error. The medical and legal fields recognize that human mistakes may contribute to minor illness or suffering. Some examples of doctor malpractice in the birth injury context include: failure to monitor the fetus before and during delivery; failure to diagnose a medical condition; failure to warn of risk factors or take the proper action to prevent the risks; failure to perform a necessary C-section; failure to respond to signs of fetal distress; failure to diagnose a birth injury, causing further harm to a child; improper use of forceps, vacuums or other delivery aids; prescribing wrong medication; and injuring a mother or baby during delivery.

- Nurse Malpractice

When a nurse is assigned a patient, he or she takes on the responsibility to provide for that person with a high degree of care and due diligence. Fulfilling these responsibilities requires the nurse to follow the policies and procedures that define the basic standard of care for medical professionals. Unfortunately, nurses sometimes make errors, which can prove to be costly, if not fatal mistakes: misuse of a medical product; failure to warn the doctor of changes in a patient's condition; failure to properly assess vital signs; failure to monitor patients; chart documentation error; and medication errors.

- Medication Errors

The use of medication to induce or stop labor, dull pain and prevent complications during pregnancy and delivery actually cause harm to the baby, in some instances. A baby is supplied oxygen and nutrients from the mother via the umbilical cord. Any substance a mother takes in is delivered directly into the baby's bloodstream. If not careful, medications can have adverse effects on the child resulting in serious reactions and possible death.

- Pregnancy Complications

If a mother has complications during the pregnancy, the baby may have an increased risk of developing birth defects or childbirth injuries. Many of these injuries are prevented by taking the necessary precautions with pregnancy complications. However, the thousands of babies suffering an injury each year demonstrate that there is still a long way to go in keeping babies healthy and safe during fetal development and delivery.

- Birth Infections

A mother and fetus share a close, symbiotic relationship in which the mother passes nutrients and oxygen to the unborn child through the placenta and umbilical cord. Thus, it is likely that a mother will also pass infections to the baby if she becomes ill during the pregnancy. These birth infections can cause birth defects, and if not treated, may be fatal.

- Labor and Delivery Errors and Complications

If you suffered labor and delivery complications resulting in a birth injury, you are not alone. It is estimated that five to seven out of every 1,000 births in the United States result in some form of birth trauma. Sadly, that equates to thousands of children suffering from birth injuries every year. Labor complications are problems that arise in a few weeks prior to or during the labor and delivery of a child. They result from some cause that is generally outside of anyone's control. For example, a larger baby can have a difficult time moving through the birth canal, thus prolonging labor and causing fetal distress. An umbilical cord wrapped around a baby's neck can cut off oxygen supply, which forces a rushed delivery or emergency C-section.

- Fetal Distress

Fetal distress is a catch-all term used to describe signs that a baby is unwell or in danger during pregnancy or in labor and delivery. If fetal distress goes undetected, and proper actions are not taken to help the baby, the baby could suffer serious birth injury or be stillborn. True fetal distress includes signs of extreme stress that must be dealt with promptly to avoid serious complications.

- Fetal Monitoring

One of the most important things a doctor can do throughout pregnancy and during labor and delivery is monitor the baby. This includes regular measuring of the heart rate, ultrasounds and taking notes on your testimonial of baby movements. During delivery, it can involve connecting fetal heart rate monitors and monitoring the charts for abnormalities. The failure to monitor a baby can lead to missed diagnosis of a serious birth defect or fetal distress. It may even lead to the death of a fetus.

- Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is caused by injury to the brain shortly before, during or after delivery. In many cases, it is a direct result of errors made during the birthing process. The most common cause is the lack of oxygen, which can occur when doctors do not recognize the signs and take action to reduce fetal distress and other labor and delivery complications. Sadly, many babies would have been born perfectly healthy had these errors not occurred.

Attorneys

Mr. Dean Weitzman Attorney Birth Injury, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury

More Information on Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman, PC - Birth Injury Team

Medication Errors Attorneys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pregnancy Complications Lawyers
Doctor Malpractice Law Firm in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, PA Birth Infections Attorneys
Nurse Malpractice Lawyers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Delivery Errors and Complications Law Firm
Fetal Distress Attorneys in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, PA Hospital Malpractice Lawyers
Contact Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman, PC - Birth Injury Team