Birth Injury Lawyers in Kansas City
Every new parent’s worst nightmare is discovering that your newborn infant has suffered a birth injury. When this happens, you may be shocked, stressed, and overwhelmed. It is difficult to determine what you should do next. It is important to speak with a birth injury lawyer and learn what rights and remedies are available to you. This is not a process you should have to face alone.
The Kansas City birth injury lawyers at Goza & Honnold, LLC understand that this is an extremely emotional time. We are here to guide you through the process, helping you decide if, how, and importantly, when you may want to proceed and what damages to seek. Contact us today and let us help you recover compensation for your child’s birth injury.
Why Choose Us
- Our Kansas City birth injury lawyers have decades of experience representing thousands of clients in their injury claims, including complex birth injury lawsuits.
- Our firm understands how difficult a birth injury can be. We will take the time to listen empathetically to your child’s story and work to secure the best possible outcome for your family.
- Our track record speaks for itself. We have recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation for our clients, helping them on their path to recovery.
Helping Your Through a Difficult Time With Compassion and Conviction
We are here to focus on the legal process so you can focus on helping your child recover from a birth injury. We believe it is our duty to make sure medical professionals are held accountable for their actions when they have breached their duty of care to a patient, especially a child. Our Kansas City medical malpractice attorneys have experience handling all types of birth injury cases, including:
- Delivery injuries related to the use of forceps
- Oxygen deprivation, hypoxia
- Shoulder dystocia and other types of nerve damage
- Erb’s palsy
- Cerebral palsy and other forms of brain damage
- Complications from cesarean sections (c-sections) and vaginal deliveries including bruises, broken bones, fractures
- Group 5 strep and other infections contracted during a hospital stay
- Failure to properly read reassuring/non-reassuring heart rate strips resulting in fetal distress complications upon delivery
We believe a thorough investigation and aggressive approach is the best way to hold negligent parties responsible, prove medical malpractice, and recover damages. We will employ experts to evaluate medical records for errors in treatment and interview everyone who was involved in your child’s delivery that led to the birth injuries. We will pursue your case all the way to trial, if necessary, seeking the maximum compensation possible.
Common Causes of Birth Injuries
When preparing for the arrival of your new baby, you trust that the nurses, obstetricians, and other medical professionals supervising labor and delivery will provide the care that you and your child need. Unfortunately, not all medical professionals uphold their duty of care to their patients.
The labor and delivery process is especially sensitive, and delivery room personnel have a responsibility to make sure that mother and baby are safe. Many acts of negligence can occur before, during, and after birth, including the following.
- Failure to monitor for signs of fetal distress
- Failure to order a necessary cesarean section
- Improper use of dangerous birthing techniques, such as forceps or vacuum
- Improper use of Pitocin or other labor-inducing drugs
- Failure to properly monitor the mother during labor
Understanding Preventable Birth Injuries in Kansas City
Birth injuries are often preventable with proper medical attention and care during the labor and delivery. Healthcare providers are responsible for monitoring both the mother and the baby for signs of complications, such as fetal distress or oxygen deprivation. Failure to properly monitor the birth process or mishandling delivery tools like forceps or vacuums can result in life-altering injuries like cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries, or brain damage.
When preventable birth injuries occur due to medical negligence, families face emotional trauma, financial burdens, and long-term consequences for the child’s well-being. If your child has sustained injuries due to improper care, consult Kansas City birth injury attorneys to determine if malpractice occurred. Seeking justice can help prevent similar tragedies in the future while also providing the financial compensation your family needs.
The Long-Term Consequences of Birth Trauma
Birth trauma can lead to various complications that impact a child’s development and quality of life. Conditions such as Erb’s palsy, cerebral palsy, and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) may result in permanent disabilities, requiring ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. Damage sustained during delivery, such as nerve damage or brain injuries, can also affect the baby’s motor skills and cognitive functions.
The emotional and financial toll on families can be overwhelming as they navigate the costs of medical treatment, therapies, and accommodations for a child’s injuries. Kansas City birth injury attorneys can help families pursue compensation through a birth injury lawsuit to cover these expenses. A free initial consultation with a law firm experienced in birth injury cases is the first step toward holding negligent parties accountable.
Legal Options for Birth Injury Victims
If a medical professional’s negligence led to your child’s injury, you could file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the at-fault party. Any medical professional who provided care to you or your child can be liable for a birth injury, including nurses, surgeons, obstetricians, and anesthesiologists.
Through a medical malpractice lawsuit, you can recover compensation for all damages related to your child’s birth injury. This includes economic damages, or financial losses, as well as non-economic damages, also known as pain and suffering. Common damages in Missouri birth injury claims include the following.
- Past and future medical expenses
- Loss of future earnings
- Live-in caregivers
- Disability accommodations
- Physical therapies and rehabilitation
- Chronic pain
- Loss of quality of life
How to Prove a Kansas City Birth Injury Lawsuit
To secure compensation in a birth injury lawsuit, you will need to prove that the at-fault medical professional’s actions caused your child’s injuries.
You will need to gather evidence to prove the four elements of negligence:
- Duty: The at-fault medical professional must owe your child a duty of care, meaning that he or she must have provided care in a professional capacity. If the injury occurred while you were receiving medical care at a hospital or clinic and the at-fault party was part of your medical team, he or she will owe a duty of care.
- Breach: The at-fault party breached his or her duty of care through a negligent act or omission. In medical malpractice cases, you must prove that the at-fault medical professional acted in a way that a similarly trained and reasonable professional would not have done under the same circumstances.
- Causation: You must prove that the at-fault party’s act of negligence directly caused your child’s birth injuries. Since this element requires scientific evidence, the attorneys at Goza & Honnold, LLC can enlist the help of expert witnesses who can review your child’s medical records and provide testimony to establish causation.
- Damages: Your child and your family suffered damages due to the birth injury that you can recover compensation for in your lawsuits. You can use many pieces of evidence to prove damages, including medical bills, pay stubs, and journal entries.
Brain Injury Lawyer Resources
Q&A about Kansas City Birth Injury Accidents
What are common causes of birth injuries?
Birth injuries often result from medical negligence during the labor and delivery. Common causes include failure to monitor fetal distress, improper use of delivery tools like forceps, and delayed cesarean sections.
How can I prove medical malpractice in a birth injury case?
To prove medical malpractice, you need to establish that the healthcare provider breached their duty of care and caused your child’s injuries. Evidence such as medical records and expert testimony can support your case.
What damages can I recover in a birth injury lawsuit?
In a birth injury lawsuit, you can recover economic damages like medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages for emotional trauma and reduced quality of life.
How does cerebral palsy relate to birth injuries?
Cerebral palsy is often linked to oxygen deprivation or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy during the delivery process. These injuries can lead to long-term mobility challenges and developmental delays.
Why should I consult a child injury attorney in Kansas City?
A Kansas City cild injury attorney can evaluate your case, gather evidence, and hold negligent medical professionals accountable. Many attorneys offer a free consultation to discuss your legal options and next steps.
Reach Out To Our Compassionate Kansas Birth Injury Lawyers
Contact us to discuss the circumstances of your birth injury claim. Our birth injury attorneys in Kansas City offer a free initial consultation to listen to your case and explain what options are available for recovery.
We encourage you to learn more about the cases and results we have achieved for families who have received our help with a personal injury case.