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Birth Injury Lawyers

California Birth Injury Attorneys for the Most Challenging Cases

Every family should be filled with joy at the prospect of adding a new child. Unfortunately, some new parents are denied this joy due to negligence, which can turn a happy occasion into something filled with deep sadness.

Though the United States is a wealthy country, it is one of the most dangerous places in the developed world to give birth, according to federal data. Hundreds of U.S. women die in childbirth annually, nearly 40,000 babies suffer a birth injury. These numbers mean the U.S. ranks first among all developed nations in serious birth incidents.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this situation is that many of these fetal and maternal deaths and injuries are preventable. A 2018 report by USA Today discovered 50% of birth injuries and fetal and maternal deaths were preventable with a better medical response.

So why is the medical system failing so many families and their newborns?

Explaining the Danger of Birth Injuries

Some of the most common birth injuries include:

These injuries are often caused or made worse by negligent medical care, prenatally, during labor or at delivery. A delayed response to complications, a failure to recognize or diagnose fetal distress or bleeding, or incorrectly using vacuum devices, Pitocin or other birthing tools are common forms of negligence, as is the failure to order a medically necessary C-section.

Should these events occur, deaths or permanent injuries may result -- injuries that may have devastating consequences for babies and their mothers, including lifelong physical disabilities. It is no exaggeration to say that inadequate knowledge of nurses or doctors, being hurried or inattentive can irrevocably alter the outcome of a newborn’s life.

Fortunately, the legal system features robust protections for those who have suffered from medical negligence. Working with an attorney who specializes in such litigation is the first step toward receiving justice.

What We Do

  1. We obtain at no cost to you all the medical records both you and your baby: the fetal heart monitor strips, your prenatal care records, ultrasounds and test data, yours and the baby’s hospital record.
  2. We study them ourselves with our Board-Certified in-house physician and with our 40 years of experience analyzing medical records of birth injuries
  3. We have our experts from the best universities and hospitals also analyze the records
  4. If we accept your case, we have your baby examined by the most experienced and best known pediatric neurologist in the country
  5. We pay the costs of all this ourselves and only are paid back if we win or settle your case
  6. We keep you informed of our progress on your case as we go.

Birth Injury FAQs

What is a birth injury?

Birth injury refers to infants who at birth or soon after appear depressed-low heart rate, pale, not moving, not breathing, or any of these problems. The baby might receive CPR or intubation right in the delivery room. These babies often require care in the NICU or are transferred to a children’s hospital for higher-level care. Many of these infants are later diagnosed as having cerebral palsy or "CP", have problems with seizures, feeding, movement, spasticity and delayed development. We often find that these problems are caused by a lack of adequate oxygen during labor or delivery and could have been prevented with proper nursing, doctor and hospital care.

Can a birth injury be prevented?
Who are the best lawyers to contact for a birth injury? What to look for.
How do you choose a doctor/hospital?

Finding An Experienced Birth Injury Attorney

Few things are more traumatic than serious birth injuries -- and statistics show that they occur with alarming frequency in the United States. The repercussions from such negligent actions can last a lifetime. They can turn a joyous occasion into one of the worst moments of a mother’s life.

We have extensive experience and vital resources including an in-house M.D. Bradford S. Davis, M.D. has been our in-house Medical Director since 1994 and is the former Clinical Director of the Emergency Department at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. For nearly two decades Dr. Davis has been especially focused on evaluating infants and children who may have suffered birth trauma or other medical challenges caused by medical malpractice and negligence.

Contact the California birth injury attorneys of Michels & Lew if you believe that your child has suffered a birth injury or you are a mother who has been harmed during your pregnancy. We have been providing personalized and attentive legal representation to California families in this area of the law for more than 40 years. Our personal approach to our clients has been successful; we have helped injury victims recover more than 1.5 billion dollars in compensation. We may be able to help you and your family.

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