Medical Malpractice Attorney Chicago IL

Giving birth, while extremely exciting, can already be a very stressful process. Not only stressful on the mother both physically and emotionally but stressful for the infant as well. While some health concerns are known about before birth to best give the new parents a chance to prepare and cope, some illnesses and injuries are unexpected and the result of medical malpractice. Doctors and other healthcare professionals can be held liable even if they did not intend for any harm to occur to the mother or child. Birth-related medical malpractice injuries are the result of negligence on the part of the staff, doctor, or the hospital and do not only mean harm came to the child. This could also mean:

• The mother sustained injuries while she was pregnant or during delivery.

• There was a failure to avoid or end a pregnancy.

• There was a wrongful birth, where parents would have ended the pregnancy if they knew
  about birth defects.

If any of these events have occurred to you or someone you love, it is recommended for you to speak with a dedicated and experienced medical malpractice attorney in the Chicago, IL area. The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian have years of experience in ensuring the victims of medical malpractice are taken care of. Using their special skills and extensive legal knowledge, they will help you understand your legal rights and pursue the person or facility responsible for your birth injury. 

If your child suffered a birth injury, you may want to speak to a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL trusts from Sherinian Law. We have assisted clients who have suffered from medical malpractice injuries and we want to help you get justice. As a victim of a birth injury, you have the right to obtain the assistance of a lawyer and bring a claim against the liable party. The claims process can be difficult to navigate, so they will be there to provide support and work to achieve the best possible outcome. Don’t make the mistake of not talking to a lawyer about your rights. Konrad Sherinian, an experienced Chicago IL medical malpractice attorney from Sherinian Law is ready to do everything in his power to protect your rights.

What Is a Birth Injury?

A birth injury occurs during the birthing process and results in damage to the mother or infant’s body. Some injuries heal on their own without extensive medical treatment. If a birth injury is minor, an infant may recover from the injury fairly quickly. However, if the injury is more severe, it can have lasting effects that never fully heal and require long-term medical treatment that lasts for years or for the rest of the infant’s life. This includes permanent health conditions such as Down syndrome or other cognitive disorders. 

When medical malpractice happens, it can cause mild to severe injuries to both the mom and/or the child. A medical malpractice attorney from the Chicago, Illinois area can explain a few examples of birth injuries are:

• The child has a brain injury that leads to cerebral palsy.

• The doctors failed to monitor or treat a maternal infection.

• Failure to plan for and implement an emergency C-section.

• Administering the wrong medication to the mother while she is pregnant.

Why Do Birth Injuries Occur?

Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals involved in a baby’s birth are expected to have extensive knowledge of the delivery process. Mothers expect and depend on the doctors and medical professionals present in the delivery room to guide them so that they have a safe delivery. Unfortunately, mistakes can still happen. Even small errors like improper use of forceps or delaying treatment for a few minutes can lead to critical consequences. When a medical professional is grossly negligent, and when this negligence leads to an injury, this may justify a medical malpractice claim.

For example, a doctor may fail to recognize that a baby is in breech, and fail to deliver the baby properly in time. In other cases, a nurse might give a pregnant or nursing mother medication that harms the baby. Failing to recognize signs or act in a timely manner can be grounds for medical malpractice. It’s important for medical professionals to be well-rested and put their complete focus on the birth process to avoid these mistakes.

What Types of Birth Injuries Can Infants Suffer?

When a doctor or other medical professional is negligent during a birth, a lot can go wrong. Konrad Sherinian, a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL respects, has seen many types of birth injury cases. Some kinds of birth injuries infants can suffer may include:

• Anoxia

• Brain damage

• Bone fractures

• Shoulder dystocia

• Facial paralysis

• Fetal lacerations

• Hypoxia

• Spinal cord injuries

No matter what type of birth injury your child suffered, it is important to consult with a medical malpractice lawyer that Chicago IL residents depend on as soon as possible about it. There is limited time to prepare and file a claim, so you are encouraged to explore your legal options early.

There are few events in life more stressful than a complicated birth process. Doctors and healthcare professionals must work carefully and swiftly to ensure that the delivery goes well. For both mother and baby, medically complex birth processes can be potentially life threatening, deeply traumatic and/or injurious. Sometimes, even mothers who are not at a high risk for complications may suffer unexpected and significant medical challenges as a result of a difficult birth. Similarly, infants expected to be delivered with relative ease may experience distress or even become stuck during the birthing process. It is crucial that every medical professional is prepared so crucial errors aren’t made that put the mother and child at risk. 

Because a complex birth can be traumatic for mother and baby, the last thing on many parents’ minds in the wake of a tough delivery is speaking with a medical malpractice attorney in Chicago IL. But when a challenging birth results in obvious injuries or potential future medical challenges, it is important to consider speaking with an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Chicago IL. as soon as you can. The longer that parents wait to speak with a lawyer, the more difficult it may be to obtain evidence critical to a potential claim. If you believe that a birth injury was caused because of a medical professional’s negligent actions, speak to an attorney to have your case evaluated and they can determine if you have a valid claim.

What To Do When the Infant Is Injured

When pregnancy or delivery injures the child, it is up to the parents to act as legal guardians bringing forth the lawsuit. In this lawsuit, the parents can work with their Chicago, IL medical malpractice attorney to ask for general damages and special damages on behalf of the injured child. The lawyer will compile a list of damages that should be covered by compensation. Examples of damages could be a loss of enjoyment of life because of the injury, present and future medical expenses, cost of suffering, or even the physical and mental pain the child endured.

What To Do When the Mother Is Injured

If a mother receives injuries during pregnancy or while she is giving birth due to a doctor’s negligence, then she can bring about a medical malpractice claim. For example, the doctor might fail to control any excess bleeding that the mother experiences during delivery causing physical injuries. When this happens, the family’s Chicago, IL medical malpractice attorney can file a claim to recover monetary compensation for those injuries. Additionally, parents may be able to get damages for emotional pain experienced because of their baby’s birth injury.

Wrongful Pregnancy

If parents attempted to avoid pregnancy through the hospital by undergoing sterilization or abortion, but those methods for avoiding pregnancy failed due to negligence on behalf of the doctor or staff, they might be able to recover damages for medical expenses or lost wages.

Wrongful Birth

In this case, parents might sue if the doctor was aware of birth defects that the child had but did not tell the parents. A wrongful birth can also lead to medical complications for the mother. Had the parents known, they would not have gone through with the pregnancy. This can be a result of:

• Failure to detect a physical or mental impairment due to negligence

• Failure to provide adequate genetic testing before the conception of the child

If you or a loved one has recently struggled as a result of a difficult delivery process, please consider contacting our firm. We are passionate about advocating on behalf of the rights of mothers and babies and we have extensive experience dealing with brain injury cases. Explore your legal options early so that a lawyer can review your case and inform you of your rights. We will take a close look at your case and determine which party is responsible for your birth injury. Our legal team will use all the resources at our disposal to provide you with quality legal support during this stressful and challenging time. Contact our office to schedule a consultation so we can assist you. 

A common issue that results in birth injuries is when an infant is a lack of oxygen. Too often, infants suffer brain injuries during delivery when deprived of oxygen, improperly handled and/or delivered via tools like forceps. Sometimes these injuries are immediately apparent and other times they only manifest when a child struggles with developmental delays. Consulting with a Chicago, Illinois medical malpractice attorney in our office will not obligate you to file a claim. But it will help to inform you of your options and may help keep those options available for longer than they might be if you did not choose to act quickly.

It is worth noting again that it is understandable if new parents are not preoccupied with their legal options in the wake of a difficult delivery, But it is also worth noting that becoming invested in the personal injury process may help to ensure that your injured child has access to the medical care that he or she may need for weeks, months or even years to come. Personal injury damage awards often help to stabilize the financial consequences associated with injury caused to an innocent individual. Filing a claim with Konrad Sherinian, a medical malpractice attorney in Chicago, IL trusts, may ultimately help to ensure your injured child is properly cared for as he or she recovers and/or lives with the consequences of a lifelong medical condition caused by the birthing process.

Legal Assistance Is Available

If your baby was recently delivered by forceps and may have suffered a brain injury or was otherwise harmed during the birth process, please consider contacting our firm today. We would appreciate the opportunity to advise you of your legal options so that you can make an informed decision in the best interests of your child and family. If you ultimately choose to file a personal injury claim, a medical malpractice attorney in Chicago IL, such as Konrad Sherinian, would be happy to support you through that process and/or direct you to the best resources available under your specific circumstances.

Medical malpractice claims are an especially challenging and intricate type of personal injury claim. Because of the risks involved, lawyers must carefully review each medical malpractice claim and determine if they are able to build a strong argument for their client. There must be solid evidence that a doctor or healthcare professional was directly responsible for your birth injury, but building a case that establishes that can be difficult. Hospitals have their own team of lawyers to assist them with medical malpractice claims, so having a highly skilled and knowledgeable lawyer is recommended if you want to boost your chances of having a favorable outcome. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Birth Injury Lawsuit?

If you wish to pursue a birth injury lawsuit, be sure to do so before the statute of limitations runs out. In Illinois, your birth injury lawsuit must be filed within eight years of the child’s injury. After that time passes, your family might not be eligible to receive compensation. It’s important to contact a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL families trust as soon as you find out about your child’s birth injury. An experienced medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL counts on may review your case and start the claims process right away.

Why Hire a Medical Malpractice Attorney?

Filing a birth injury lawsuit can be quite difficult if you don’t have any legal expertise. If you hire a skilled medical malpractice attorney in Chicago IL, things may go much smoother. Here are a few reasons why you may consider hiring a medical malpractice attorney:

• Birth Defects Are Different From Birth Injuries: Birth defects occur naturally while birth injuries are caused by a negligent person or entity. Some doctors try to pass off birth injuries as birth defects to avoid lawsuits. If you’re facing this situation, you may need a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL can provide to help you prove that your child’s injuries are the result of a physician’s error. Your lawyer may conduct a thorough investigation to prove that a certain party was negligent in some way.

• An Attorney May Reduce Your Stress: You already have to take care of a newborn who suffered a birth injury. Handling a lawsuit on your own would likely double your stress. A lawyer can do all of the legal legwork for you, relieving a great deal of stress for your family. This will give you more time to take care of your child’s needs.

• An Attorney May Handle Communication With Insurance Adjusters: After you file a medical malpractice claim, the doctor’s insurance company may want to speak to you about your case. Because insurance companies are in the business of making money, the insurance adjuster who speaks to you might try to offer you a compensation amount in exchange for not filing a civil suit. As an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney might advise, it’s often better to consult with a lawyer before agreeing to any compensation settlement. If the insurer doesn’t agree to settle for a fair amount, your medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL has to offer might take the case to trial.

• An Attorney May Offer Objectivity: When you are dealing with something as traumatizing as your child’s birth injury, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with emotion. However, feeling all these emotions can make it difficult to think straight and make good decisions. A lawyer may remain objective in your case and prevent you from making decisions that you later regret. For example, if you are thinking about settling for a low offer just to get everything over with, your medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL depends on may advise you to wait for a better offer.

Contact Konrad Sherinian: A Trusted Medical Malpractice Attorney in Chicago IL

If you believe your baby’s birth injury is due to medical negligence, a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL relies on, such as Konrad Sherinian, may be a big help to you. He can first thoroughly review your situation to determine if you have a strong claim. If we determine that you have a strong case, we may begin the lawsuit process by helping you gather all the evidence you need, such as medical documents and expert witness testimony.

While many birth injury cases can be settled out of court, they sometimes go to trial. If that is the case with yours, you may feel confident working with a reputable and skilled lawyer from Sherinian Law. Konrad Sherinian works hard to build strong cases for clients who have been injured due to medical negligence.

Who Can You Reach Out To?

If you believe that you or your child have suffered from a birth injury that was the result of medical malpractice in the Chicago, IL area, you could have a reasonable claim to make. However, navigating the legal jargon and malpractice laws can become quite complicated. If you have any further questions or would like to reach out to a medical malpractice attorney trusted by Chicago, IL, the Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, call our office today.

If you would like more information about medical malpractice, or if you want to schedule a consultation with a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL offers, contact Sherinian Law at (312) 981-0338.

Common Myths About Medical Malpractice

There are many misconceptions surrounding medical malpractice that may make you reluctant to file a lawsuit. Here are some common myths a medical malpractice attorney in Chicago, IL  has heard throughout the years.

• The Majority of Medical Malpractice Cases Are Frivolous: While there are people who sue doctors and other medical professionals simply because they’re unhappy with their results, it is a rarity. Most people who file medical malpractice lawsuits were badly injured while under a medical professional’s care and have legitimate claims.

• You Can Only Sue Doctors and Surgeons for Malpractice: It is true that doctors and surgeons make up the majority of medical malpractice cases. However, any medical professional can be sued for malpractice. For example, if your dentist treated the wrong tooth, you may be able to file a malpractice claim against him or her.

• You Should Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer: When you file a medical malpractice lawsuit, the insurance company may contact you soon and offer you a settlement. It may be tempting to accept this offer so that you can get everything over with. However, the insurance company is not on your side and may try to get you to accept a small payout. Give your medical malpractice attorney in Chicago, IL more time to negotiate a fair settlement.

• Most Medical Errors Are Preventable: This could not be farther from the truth. Most medical errors can absolutely be prevented. For example, most diagnostic errors can be avoided by spending more time with patients and ordering more tests.

• Medical Malpractice Claims Always Results in Big Payouts: While some medical malpractice settlements are millions of dollars, most of them don’t result in huge payouts. Most people who file these claims are only compensated for their medical bills.

• Medical Malpractice Lawyers Take All Cases: It is another misconception that medical malpractice lawyers will take just any case. They will typically only take cases they believe they can win.
• Hiring a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Is Too Expensive: Unfortunately, some people shy away from hiring medical malpractice lawyers because they do not think they can afford the fees. However, most of these lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means they take a percentage of your settlement at the end. You do not have to worry about giving your medical malpractice attorney in Chicago, IL money upfront.

If you would like more information about medical malpractice, or if you want to schedule a consultation with a medical malpractice attorney Chicago IL offers, contact Sherinian Law at (312) 981-0338.