More than 250,000 people died each year due to medical errors, and hundreds of thousands more patients suffer long lasting harm a the result of medical mistakes. One area that is particularily susceptible to medical errors is obstetrics. Because of the numerous complexities involved in childbirth, the potential for error is higher than in other specialties. When errors do occur, the injuries can be devastating - potentially fatal or causing catastrophic harm. Types of injuries that can occur involve Cerebral Palsy, shoulder dystocia/brachial plexus injuries, Bells Plasy and bruising. These injuries may happen for a vareity of reasons - such as a delay in perfroming a C-section, or the improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction. Other times issues sytemic issues may increase the likelihood of an error occuring - such as commuication errors between staff - especially during shfit changes. Further, many times an obstetrician is overseeing several patients at once and may be delayed in responding to an emergency situation with one patient while seeing another.
Often more than one factor may be at play when a birth injury occurs. If you believe that your child has suffered a birth injury as the result of a medical error, it is important to consult with a skilled California birth injury attorney who can begin an investigation, including the review of medical records to determine just how the injury occurred. For more information, please contact the experienced California birth injury lawyers at Bostwick Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.