Sometimes, birth plans go awry. With childbirth, doctors and medical staff must be prepared for the unexpected and make medical decisions that are both situational and based on the doctor’s medical expertise.
Unfortunately, when doctors fail to act within the reasonable medical standard of care, unborn babies and newborns can sustain a variety of birth injuries. And while the child may be the one physically injured, mothers can experience emotional injuries and trauma from the experience.
Birth Trauma
Birth trauma, such as when a baby is injured shortly before, during, or after birth, can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for a mother after childbirth. While this condition is often associated with war experiences and assaults, it can develop after any shocking, scary, or otherwise traumatic event.
Symptoms of postpartum PTSD include:
- Re-experiencing the traumatic event or birth through flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts; these can lead to panic attacks, distress, and other physical symptoms
- Avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma; for instance, avoiding walking or driving past the hospital where you gave birth
- Feeling hypervigilant and constantly on alert and jumpy; you may feel like something terrible is about to happen to your baby
- Feeling low and unhappy or blaming yourself for your baby’s injuries
Birth Injury Claim and Emotional Damages
If your baby sustained a birth injury, you are entitled to file a birth injury claim against any and all any negligent parties who caused the injury. You and your family may be entitled to not only compensation for past, present, and future costs related to your child’s injury, but you may also pursue compensation for emotional damages and trauma.
While no amount of compensation can entirely make right of the wrongs committed against you and your child, we believe in holding responsible parties accountable for their actions while also ensuring you have the financial resources that you need to heal properly.
Helping Your Family Heal
We understand that a birth injury to your child can be absolutely devastating for you and your entire family. At Angel Law, our Portland birth injury legal team is dedicated to putting your family first and helping you obtain the compensation that you deserve and need to heal together.
We will guide you through the process, each step of the way, and help you pursue compensation for your child’s physical injuries as well as your emotional trauma. Please know that you are our first priority and we will stop at nothing to fight for justice on your behalf.
Contact Angel Law at (503) 862-8666 to get started on your case.