Pittsburgh Birth Injury Lawyer

Our Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers have experience with Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawsuits in the state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County PA. Our attorneys can help you and your family after a cerebral palsy diagnosis in Pittsburgh PA. Birth injuries occur before, during and at times after the labor and delivery of your infant. A Pittsburgh birth injury often occurs due to medical malpractice errors of nurses, obstetricians, mid-wives and other Pittsburgh hospital employees. Over 50% of infant birth injuries and low APGAR scores are associated with oxygen deprivation also known as birth asphyxia. Birth injuries can also be caused by defective medical devices used before and during delivery. These common birth injuries often occur due to delayed delivery, Pitocin medicine inducement errors, oxygen deprivation also known as hypoxia, forceps delivery error, vacuum pump negligence, placental abruption and emergency C-Section malpractice is commonly the cause of birth injury in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Many times, this medical malpractice results in: Erb’s Palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy (CP) athetoid palsy, facial nerve palsy and brachial plexus cerebral palsy injury. Call a Pittsburgh birth injury lawyer at the Trapani Law Firm for a free consultation.

Unfortunately, these serious infant injuries will require a lifetime of financial hardship to endure and ongoing medical treatment. An experienced and highly knowledgeable Pittsburgh birth injury attorney can help. The lawyers at the Trapani Law Firm can provide you with a free in-person legal consultation at any Pittsburgh area medical facility, birthing center or hospital. We travel to any University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

There are several Pittsburgh PA hospitals and birthing centers that perform childbirths. Our birth injury lawyers at the Trapani Law Firm offer free consultations at any of the following locations in Pittsburgh. Such as the Allegheny General Hospital a large urban hospital located at 320 East North Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The West Penn Hospital located at 4800 Friendship Avenue. UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. The UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (UPMC CHOP) has a neonatal intensive care unit located at 4401 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15224. Pittsburgh VA Medical Center which offers reproductive health care services for women Veterans, including contraception, pregnancy care and fertility treatment at their two locations: University Drive C, Pittsburgh, PA 15240-1003 and 1010 Delafield Road, Pittsburgh, PA. Presbyterian Hospital Pittsburgh at the University of Saint Lothrop. The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health at 2831 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA offers is the largest freestanding birth center. The Midwife Center offers child delivery, postpartum care, classes and support groups for pregnant women. Moreover, our Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers will represent you and your family in a Pittsburgh birth injury lawsuit by filing of a medical malpractice claim in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Civil Division City-County Building, First Floor 414 Grant Street Pittsburgh PA 15219-2469.

Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Pittsburgh

A Pittsburgh cerebral palsy lawyer is here for you and your child after a CP diagnosis due to medical negligence. Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder which can occur during negligent and prolonged childbirth labor and delivery. Cerebral Palsy, a common Pittsburgh birth injury, occurs due to the lack of oxygen (Hypoxemia) being supplied to the fetus’s brain. This serious and permanent disability causes permanent abnormal movement in various parts of the infant’s body, seizures and delays in the development. There are many different types Cerebral Palsy with each classified by the body parts affected and severity of the symptoms. Common Cerebral Palsy medical malpractice errors include fetal distress, failing to perform and emergency C-section, failure to detect birth defects or improper use of forceps. Cerebral Palsy (CP) is often diagnosed after a negligent labor and delivery of a child. Varied medical tests are performed to diagnose CP. This includes the APGAR test and an MRI, and the Gross Motor Function Classification System for CP (GMFCS) and other neurological assessments. Types of cerebral palsy include dyskinetic, spastic, ataxic and mixed types. Cerebral Palsy can badly impact your child’s ability to progress through life. Cerebral Palsy is a serious and lifelong birth injury disability that requires your child to endure physically therapy to for: strength, motor development, balance, flexibility and mobility, speech therapy, language therapy, impaired vision care, surgery and possibly 24-hour nursing for your child’s lifetime. Call a cerebral palsy lawyer in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania anytime for a free consultation.

Emergency C-section Attorney

Most Pittsburgh emergency cesarean section birth injuries occur because of careless physician and healthcare provider errors. An emergency urgent C section could be necessary when the umbilical cord reduces supply to the embryo, placenta abrupt and fetal distress. Delaying an emergency C-section surgery can result in serious and life-long Pittsburgh birth injuries including brain damage, spinal bifida, stillbirth, broken bones and Pittsburgh wrongful death. Vacuum extraction procedure assists in a complicated delivery. The negligent use of a vacuum pump extractor by an obstetrician or mid-wife during a childbirth can cause irreversible serious brain injury (TBI). A vacuum pump extraction, also known as a ventouse assisted delivery suctions the child’s head from the birth canal during a vaginal birth. Without properly skilled medical professionals a brain bleed can occur under the baby’s skull, causing brain damage. Using disproportionate strength or improper placement can result in negligent and permanent Pittsburgh birth injury. Catastrophic personal injuries include Cerebral Palsy, cognitive and developmental issues, skull fractures and hearing loss. Placental Abruption is a premature separation of the placenta from the uterus before childbirth. Placental abruption can be life-threatening to the baby, causing premature birth and even wrongful death. Placental abruption is diagnosed with symptoms of maternal bleeding, contractions and pain. Careful monitoring is required by medical professionals. In the event of an emergency, a Caesarean section is performed to prevent birth injury. Call a Pittsburgh birth injury lawyer at the Trapani Law Firm.

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, often referred to as HIE or birth asphyxia is a serious brain injury often caused by medical negligence fetal monitoring, anesthesia errors or misused Pitocin inducement medication. Early diagnosis and hypothermia treatment also known as brain cooling is vital. Sometimes brain injury may not be evident immediately after a Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) event. Lack of oxygen to the fetal brain or perinatal hypoxia can result in permanent brain damage leading to cerebral palsy. Asphyxiation can occur due to complications with the umbilical cord or low maternal blood oxygen. Lack of fetal oxygen is one of the causes of fetal stroke. Fetal stroke can result prolonged labor, Pitocin misuse and other medication error used in labor induction. Negligent observation and medical care by the obstetrician and hospital personnel often results in medical malpractice and permanent birth injury. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) can also be identified by a very low APGAR score at 1 and 5 minutes.

Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

Pittsburgh birth injury trauma may also be the result of an infant suffering from Meconium Aspiration Syndrome. Meconium Aspiration Syndrome occurs in vitro as the newborn aspirates its meconium (bowel movement). This most often occurs due to fetal stress or abnormalities involving low blood flow and involving placenta. Meconium aspiration is most likely to occur with difficult labor and delivery, preeclampsia and post-term pregnancy. MAS can lead to Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) as the meconium can become lodged in the newborn’s lungs, depriving him of oxygen. Symptoms commonly associated with a Pittsburgh birth injury of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome include low muscle tone and rapid or abnormal breathing. Immediate medical intervention of removal of meconium and amniotic fluid from the airways and respiratory evaluation, however, permanent respiratory disease, lung infection, pneumothorax (lung rupture) occur as a result of medical malpractice in Pittsburgh PA.
Low APGAR Scores Related to Birth Injuries

Low APGAR Scores related to birth injuries can be caused by medical malpractice and negligent treatment of your infant during pregnancy labor and delivery. There are many steps that the pregnant expectant mother and child should expect from treating medical practitioners, nursing staff and hospital facility. Improper evaluation and diagnosis of risk or complications can often lead to medical malpractice brain injury. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be diagnosed by low APGAR scores. This newborn scoring system was created by Virginia Apgar and assists the physician estimate your infant’s general condition at birth. Heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, reflex response and color is checked by the labor and delivery hospital team. Low APGAR scores are an indicator to damage to the baby’s central nervous system. Infants suffering from inadequate oxygen and blood flow resulting in permanent injury due to hospital employees improper fetal monitoring and proper steps to prevent medical malpractice. Signs and symptoms of birth injury using the APGAR scoring system include pale or bluish skin color, difficulty, shallow or no breathing, failure to respond and poor muscle tone, excessive acid in the baby’s blood, low heart rate, HIE and coma. The lower the APGAR rate, on a 1 to 10 scale, the increased chance of birth injury associated with labor and delivery of your child. Due to birth injury malpractice your infant could endure a lifetime of medical bills as your newborn baby may need early intervention of physical, psychological, speech, language and recreational therapies, medications, hospital testing, hospitalizations and 24-hour nursing care.

Birth Injury Lawyer Pittsburgh

An experienced, Pittsburg birth injury lawyer will work on a contingency fee, which means we don’t get paid unless we acquire economic compensation or a Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawsuit settlement for an infant client and their parents. Further, all Allegheny County birth injury consultations are free of charge, so please give us a call today to discuss a birth injury medical malpractice lawsuit settlement. The best Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers will have a track record of medical malpractice lawsuit success and high moral standards in the Allegheny County Pennsylvania community. The Trapani Law Firm is here to help get you and your family the justice and treatment you deserve after a Pittsburgh birth injury diagnosis.