Birth Injury Attorney
Fort Lauderdale HIE Lawyer
South Florida Legal Help for When Negligence Causes Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
Negligence in the labor, delivery, and recovery room (LDR) can bring serious injury to a mother and her child. If mild, these injuries may heal on their own; if severe, these injuries could result in catastrophic injury—or even prove fatal.
At Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A., our Fort Lauderdale birth injury lawyers fight tirelessly to protect the rights of children who sustained hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) as a result of medical negligence in the LDR. We will work to find answers, closure, and financial support for you.
For Example, You May Be Entitled to Compensation For:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitative care
- In-home accommodations
- Assistive devices
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Regardless of your case’s complexity, we will utilize our over 70 years of experience to maximize your compensation. Our attorneys in Fort Lauderdale have secured many multimillion-dollar case results for our clients since opening our firm. Now, we want to fight for you! Place your trust with a team that will put you first.
What Is Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy?
HIE is a two-part brain injury that happens when a baby is deprived of oxygen. Because of this lack of oxygen, the blood flow to the brain decreases and brain cells start to deteriorate. Once oxygen is restored, the already damaged brain cells continue to break down. Toxins are released; some brain cells die completely. Serious, irreversible brain damage often results.
Common Birth Injuries
In the best cases, birth asphyxia is resolved quickly and no harm comes to the baby. Sadly, however, if birth asphyxia persists without medical intervention, the resulting injuries may take days, weeks, or even months to heal. In some cases, an injury can last a lifetime; in the worst, it can cause the wrongful death of a child.
Signs and Symptoms of HIE After Birth Include:
- Poor reflexes
- Trouble feeding
- Trouble breathing
- Unusually high or low muscle tone
- Seizures
If your child is diagnosed with HIE, they should be promptly given therapeutic hypothermia to prevent any further damage to the brain.
OUR Birth Injury results
$32.8 Million
BIRTH INJURY
An unborn baby was in distress with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. His doctor and hospital medical team ignored signals and tests, which ultimately resulted in severe brain damage including cerebral palsy, spastic legs and arms, mental retardation, kidney failure and other conditions.
$32.8 Million
BIRTH INJURY
An expectant mother went into the hospital with complications. Attending physicians did not properly communicate with each other, leading to the baby being born under duress with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.
$32.8 Million
BIRTH INJURY
A Palm Beach County jury has awarded $4 million on behalf of a child suffering from severe mental retardation that the family blamed on a delayed delivery in a West Palm Beach hospital more than 11 years ago.
Can HIE Be Prevented?
Sadly, there are times when HIE is unpreventable—pregnancy and childbirth are highly unpredictable, even with modern medicine. Because of this unpredictability, it can be hard to tell whether your child’s HIE was the result of medical malpractice.
How to Know if You Have a Case
If you are considering taking legal action, the first question you should ask yourself is whether your baby would have suffered HIE if you had gone to another, more attentive doctor. Other things to consider are whether you noticed any signs that your OB-GYN, nurse, or birth team was negligent.
Here Are Some Common Examples of Medical Negligence That Can Lead To HIE:
- Ignoring or dismissing a mother’s self-reported symptoms
- Failing to consider a mother’s risk factors and medical history
- Failing to address fetal distress
- Mishandling a prolonged and very difficult labor
- Delaying an emergency C-section
If any of the above applies to your case, you likely qualify for compensation under Florida law. Please note that there are many other ways in which an OB-GYN or birth team may commit malpractice.
We’re Here to Help
At Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A., we are committed to getting you the best results possible. We will not allow negligent health care providers to get away with harming the very patients they were supposed to help. For aggressive advocacy and compassionate counsel, reach out to our award-winning South Florida team!
