Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Blog http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/ Published by Levin & Perconti en Copyright 2010 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:49:59 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.33 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Doctor Blamed for Erb’s Palsy Birth Injury An obstetrician recently received a public reprimand from her state’s medical board. The reprimand states that the doctor’s negligence caused a newborn baby to suffer Erb’s Palsy. According to the report in The Mercury News, the negligent doctor tried a suction delivery, but the baby was too large for natural birth. This risky move caused the baby’s shoulder to become locked on the mother’s public bone, damaging the baby’s shoulder nerves and causing Erb’s Palsy, which left his arm and shoulder paralyzed.

Levin & Perconti have represented clients in a number of Chicago birth injury cases involving Erb’s Palsy. In 2009, John Perconti and Patricia Gifford settled a lawsuit for $1.35 million on behalf of a 9-year-old Waukegan girl who lost movement in her arm. Her doctors failed to inform the girl’s mother of her increased risk for shoulder dystocia. They also failed to perform the proper techniques during labor and delivery to disimpact the newborn's shoulder, causing her injury. To learn more about this birth injury lawsuit, read our latest newsletter.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/02/doctor_blamed_for_erbs_palsy_b_1.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/02/doctor_blamed_for_erbs_palsy_b_1.html Brachial Plexus Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:49:59 -0600 Illinois Woman Files Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Death of Unborn Daughter The Record reports that a woman in Madison County, IL is suing Anderson Hospital and her physician, claiming they failed to provide appropriate prenatal care during her pregnancy. According to the suit, filed by an Illinois medical malpractice lawyer, the doctor failed in her duty to properly monitor the fetus, failed to ensure that the fetus developed properly in spite of the plaintiff’s diabetes and failed to intervene in a timely manner when fetal distress was detected. As a result of the doctor’s failures, the plaintiff’s unborn daughter died in December 2007. To read the full account of this Illinois malpractice lawsuit, click the link.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/illinois_woman_files_medical_m.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/illinois_woman_files_medical_m.html Fetal Distress Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:56:45 -0600 Drop in Average Birth Weight May Lead to Fewer Birth Injuries Researchers at Harvard Medical School recently released a paper in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that found the average birth weight in American newborns has dropped by two ounces. The study looked at babies born between 1990 and 2005 and noted that this was the first decline in average birth weight since the 1950s. Additionally, the study found a decrease in the number of large babies born. This is seen as a positive because it leads to fewer instances of birth trauma. A decrease in the number of babies born over the 90th percentile also reduces the occurrence of serious birth injuries that can lead to lifelong health conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Follow the link to read more about this birth weight study.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/drop_in_average_birth_weight_m_1.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/drop_in_average_birth_weight_m_1.html Birth Injury Prevention Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:34:33 -0600 Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Finds Negligence A judge has ruled that a doctor violated the standard of care and found him responsible for causing cerebral palsy in a child during a traumatic birth where the doctor had to use a vacuum extraction for almost 50 minutes. The cerebral palsy lawsuit was filed by the child’s parents and accused the doctor of medical malpractice. The judge found that the doctor had caused a serious birth injury when she tried to deliver the baby through vacuum extraction, which uses suction to pull the child’s head through the birth canal during difficult deliveries. The child is now 9 years-old and will require around-the-clock care for his entire life because of his brain damage and cerebral palsy. The doctor herself testified that it was the most disastrous delivery that she’d ever been a part of. An expert witness testified that the baby’s scalp was bobby and that he suffered a sugaleal hematoma, which occurs when blood pools between the scalp and the skin. He did not breathe for 10 minutes and suffered seizures within 24 hours of being born. The judge noted that as a result of the violation of standard of care “severe and repeated trauma as well as shoulder dystocia was inflicted” on the victim. To learn more about the cerebral palsy lawsuit, please click the link.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/cerebral_palsy_lawsuit_finds_n.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/cerebral_palsy_lawsuit_finds_n.html Cerebral Palsy Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:48:03 -0600 FDA to Study Safety of Drugs during Pregnancy The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced that it will be launching a new research program called the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program to study the effects of prescription drugs taken during pregnancy. The program is a collaborative effort between the FDA and researchers at the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERT), Kaiser Permanente, and Vanderbilt University.

According to a new study, most mothers have taken at least one prescription drug during pregnancy, yet little is known about the actual risks of taking such drugs, such as the development of birth defects, because clinical research regarding drug safety during pregnancy is scant. This new program should provide the answers that doctors need for prescribing medications and allow expectant mothers to make informed decisions regarding the health of themselves and their babies.

Read more about the details of this new study at injuryboard.com.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/fda_to_study_safety_of_drugs_d.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/01/fda_to_study_safety_of_drugs_d.html Reports & Studies Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:34:19 -0600 Ultrasound Detects Shoulder Dislocation 3 to 6 Months After Birth Injury A new study in the January issue of Radiology found that an ultrasound can now be used to detect a posterior shoulder dislocation in infants 3 to 6 months old with a permanent brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI). A doctor from Finland performed ultrasonography to screen for posterior shoulder subluxation in 132 infants with brachial plexus at various times. Their research showed that posterior shoulder subluxation of the humeral head developed in one-third of the 27 patients with permanent BPBI that failed to heal in the first year. It was detected by ultrasound in 55 percent of patients at 3 months of age and in 89 percent of patients at 6 months of age. The ultrasound has proved to be a useful tool for diagnosis of a birth injury. It should be performed on the glenohumeral joint at age 3 and 6 months of age if the symptoms persist. To learn more about the ultrasound therapy, please click the link.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/12/ultrasound_detects_shoulder_di.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/12/ultrasound_detects_shoulder_di.html Birth Injury Treatment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:15:13 -0600 Erb’s Palsy in Infants Birth injury can lead to Erb’s Palsy, which is a condition in which nerves are stretched and cause the hand, arm, shoulder and face to be injured. The disease is frequently caused by the excessive force or inappropriate traction on a newborn’s head or neck during childbirth. This will not happen without medical error. Characteristics of Erb’s Palsy include a limp arm, delayed healing of skin on the affected arm, loss of motor function and loss of sensation. Although Erb’s Palsy can be immediately apparent, the extent of the birth injury may not be known for some months after the baby’s birth. Recently, the birth injury lawyers at Levin and Perconti received a settlement for a birth injury case involving Erb’s Palsy. To learn more about the birth injury settlement, please check out Levin and Perconti’s newsletter.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/12/erbs_palsy_in_infants.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/12/erbs_palsy_in_infants.html Erb's Palsy Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:46:53 -0600 Law Firm Introduces Birth Injury Resource Center A Massachusetts birth injury law firm recently announced a new website for parents of children who suffered serious birth injuries, www.childrc.com. The birth injury website contains valuable information, including contacts and tools to help parents who are affected by birth injuries such as cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy. The website also gives parents the opportunity to interact with birth injury experts. Follow the link to learn more about this new resource for birth injury information.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/12/law_firm_introduces_birth_inju_1.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/12/law_firm_introduces_birth_inju_1.html Erb's Palsy Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:19:27 -0600 $25 Million Verdict Awarded for Botched Birth in Cook County Medical Malpractice Trial A $25 million jury verdict was recently awarded in a Cook County medical malpractice trial to a Chicago boy who suffers from cerebral palsy resulting from his botched birth eight years ago. Payton White was deprived of oxygen during his birth at Northwestern Memorial Hospital back in August of 2001. This caused severe brain damage which in turn led to him developing cerebral palsy. The verdict ensures that Payton will receive the extensive care and treatment that he is likely to require throughout his life.

Click on the following link for more information about this Cook County cerebral palsy verdict.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/11/25_million_verdict_awarded_for.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/11/25_million_verdict_awarded_for.html Verdicts and Settlements Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0600 Family Awarded $893,684 in Birth Injury Lawsuit A family was awarded nearly $900,000 in a birth injury lawsuit against a hospital and two doctors. The family accused the doctors and hospital of negligence in the handling of the woman’s labor and delivery, which caused a permanent shoulder injury to their son. The jury awarded the family $893,684 after the seven-day trial including $110,000 for future loss of earning capacity. The birth injury lawsuit alleged that the doctors should have known that the baby would likely weigh more than 10 pounds at delivery. As a result of this inaction, the baby’s shoulder got stuck behind his mother’s pubic bone after his head was delivered. This prevented his body from easily following his head during delivery. The birth complication caused injury to the nerves in the baby’s shoulder when his nerves were stretched. He has suffered permanent injuries, pain and suffering, disability and expenses as a result of the limited strength, dexterity and motion in his shoulder. To read more about the birth injury trial, please click the link.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/11/family_awarded_893684_in_birth.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/11/family_awarded_893684_in_birth.html Birth Injury Trial Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:38:03 -0600 Judge approves $6 Million Settlement for Birth Injury Lawsuit A judge has approved a $6 million birth injury settlement against a hospital on behalf of a 4-year-old who suffered injuries during his birth. The boy has cerebral palsy due to the neurological injuries he suffered during his birth at the local medical center. The settlement is the largest-ever medical malpractice settlement against this hospital. The amount reflects the costs of lifetime medical and attendant or assistive-care for the injured child as well as his inability in the future to earn income. The mother had entered the hospital for a routine birth and the doctors ignored all signs of distress during the later hours of labor and did not recognize the problem until the birth. This type of birth injury should have never occurred. To read more about the birth injury settlement, please click the link.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/11/udge_approves_6_million_settle.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/11/udge_approves_6_million_settle.html Cerebral Palsy Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:45:59 -0600 Family Receives $77.4 Million Settlement for Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury A settlement totaling $77,418,670 was recently reached with St. John’s Riverside Hospital for the family of a three-year-old boy who developed cerebral palsy due to unnecessary delays during birth. The medical malpractice lawsuit alleged that the hospital, and the obstetrician/genecologist who delivered the baby, failed to perform an emergency c-section despite the presence of signs that indicated that the baby was suffering from oxygen deprivation. Instead, the doctor opted for a vaginal delivery, which was alleged to have been initiated almost an hour later.

Click on the following link for more information about this $77 Million cerebral palsy settlement.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/10/family_receives_774_million_se.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/10/family_receives_774_million_se.html Verdicts and Settlements Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:51:02 -0600 $5.75 Million Settlement for Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury A 4-year old boy who suffered severe brain damage from birth injuries at the University of California, Davis Medical Center has reached a $5.7 million settlement with the hospital. A medical malpractice lawsuit was filed on behalf of the child alleging that the hospital’s negligence caused the boy to develop cerebral palsy. Attorneys for the University of California Board of Regents have called this the largest medical malpractice settlement paid by the university.

Read the article in the Sacramento Bee for more information on this birth injury settlement.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/10/575_million_settlement_for_cer.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/10/575_million_settlement_for_cer.html Cerebral Palsy Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:11:56 -0600 Jury Awards Family $43 M in Birth Injury Trial A jury recently awarded $43 million to a 25-year-old woman who suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a hospital’s negligence during birth. According to an article on WTEN New 10’s website, the hospital staff failed to properly resuscitate the newborn during delivery. This critical medical error caused the plaintiff to suffer cerebral palsy, a lifelong disorder that affects movement. The family settled out of court 19 year ago with the doctor who performed the delivery; however the case against the hospital has been active since 1991. To read the full coverage of this birth injury verdict, click on the link.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/10/jury_awards_family_43_m_in_bir.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/10/jury_awards_family_43_m_in_bir.html Cerebral Palsy Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:21:18 -0600 Types of Birth Injuries: Cerebral Palsy One of the most serious and devastating types of birth injuries is cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a term that encompasses many disorders, all of which affect muscle control and movement. Babies can be born with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy can be caused by medical malpractice during birth, such as brain trauma or a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth. Although no two cases are exactly the same, cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that often requires therapy, ongoing medical care, and treatment. If you believe you or a loved one has suffered cerebral palsy as a result of birth trauma or negligence by a health care provider, the birth injury attorneys of Levin & Perconti may be able to help you seek fair compensation for these injuries. To learn more about cerebral palsy or other birth injuries, follow the link to the Center for Disease Control’s website.

]]> http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/09/types_of_birth_injuries_cerebr.html http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/2009/09/types_of_birth_injuries_cerebr.html Cerebral Palsy Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:10:34 -0600