Michigan Birth Injuries - Shoulder Dystocia
Birth injuries are devastating to parents and can have long-term complications for the affected children. Some birth injuries are simply not preventable, and happen despite the most attentive prenatal and delivery room care. Other injuries, however, occur because hospital staff does not provide the accepted standards of care to the pregnant mother or infant, either by failing to notice known warning signs or not properly assessing the patient’s medical status or history. When babies are injured because of a failing on the part of a Michigan doctor or hospital, medical malpractice is often involved – and parents may have legal rights to pursue action against negligent medical providers.
The Stroble Law Firm, P.C. in Michigan is a full service law firm with a team of knowledgeable personal injury attorneys who are committed to obtaining the best possible financial results for our clients. Our birth injury attorneys have extensive experience in shoulder dystocia injury claims.
Call The Stroble Law Firm at (888) 454-0801, or contact our birth injury lawyers online for an evaluation of your claim. If there is no recovery in your case, there is no fee for our services.
Shoulder Dystocia A Common Birth Injury
Shoulder dystocia is one of the most common factors in a variety of birth injuries, including Erb’s Palsy and Cerebral Palsy. In most births, the delivery of the head is the most difficult step – and the shoulders and rest of the body are easy to follow. However, in some cases, the baby’s shoulders are much wider or larger than normal, and become stuck under the mother’s pubic bone. Shoulder dystocia describes what occurs when the baby’s head has been delivered, but the shoulders cannot exit the birth canal.
Some cases of shoulder dystocia cannot be anticipated, but because it tends to lead to injuries, doctors are extensively trained to look for certain risk factors that may lead to shoulder dystocia. Doctors and hospital staff can avoid many situations simply by obtaining a correct medical history of the mother, monitoring both mother and baby during pregnancy and labor, and checking for signs of distress during labor and delivery.
Shoulder dystocia can occur when a medical provider fails to do these things, including:
- The doctor fails to obtain a thorough history of the mother, including any previous history of diabetes, large babies, or difficult deliveries;
- The doctor fails to check for gestational diabetes during pregnancy;
- The doctor does not warn the mother of excessive weight gain during pregnancy;
- The doctor does not evaluate fetal size by ultrasound during the third trimester;
- The doctor does not address a late delivery date;
- The doctor does not request qualified medical staff to help manage a difficult delivery;
- The doctor does not properly inform the mother about the need for a caesarean section when appropriate; or
- The doctor does not manage shoulder dystocia appropriately and applies excessive force on the baby’s head or neck during delivery.
Shoulder dystocia can lead to serious arm and shoulder injuries, some of which will resolve on their own over time – but others may require physical therapy and even surgery to correct. Other complications associated with shoulder dystocia include:
- Erb’s Palsy;
- Cerebral Palsy; and
- Klumpke’s Palsy.
If shoulder dystocia during your child’s delivery resulted in serious injury, you may be eligible to file a claim for damages. Compensation can help pay for your child’s medical care and therapeutic treatment. A Michigan medical malpractice attorney with experience in shoulder dystocia claims can evaluate your situation, working with accredited medical experts to evaluate whether all healthcare standards were met.
For more information, please see our Shoulder Dystocia FAQs.
Contact Our Michigan Birth Injury Lawyers Today
The Stroble Law Firm, P.C. represents Michigan victims and families affected by serious birth injuries, including shoulder dystocia. We have helped many victims in Michigan recover what was rightfully theirs. We can help you and your family, too.
Based in Bloomfield Hills, The Stroble Law Firm represents clients across Michigan, including Macomb County, Oakland County, Warren, Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, Utica, Roseville, Troy, Farmington Hills, Waterford, Southfield, Pontiac, Birmingham Michigan, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills. Call The Stroble Law Firm at (888) 454-0801, or contact our birth injury attorneys online for an evaluation of your claim. If there is no recovery in your case, there is no fee for our services.
