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Posted on Jan. 20 2015 in Car Accident Information
It is scary how quickly lives can be changed forever by a Louisville auto accident. Someone who dies in an auto crash may have family likely able make a wrongful death claim against the insurance companies for the fault of responsible parties. Defendants in a car accident may try to defend by saying that the person who died assumed some risk or contributed to the injuries. Resolving a car accident claim may take several months and sometimes years. A claim usually begins with a demand letter to the responsible parties’ insurance companies or the responsible parties themselves. Usually a demand letter cannot be written until all the damages such as
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Posted on Dec. 8 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
No one wants to think of their baby in distress. However, it is imperative to be well versed in the possible problems that can arise during labor, both for your own health and to make sure your child’s health is safeguarded. If something does happen, being well-informed can be the difference between receiving the compensation you may be owed, and receiving nothing. Don’t hesitate to contact a Louisville birth injury lawyer if you think you may have a medical malpractice claim. Signs and Symptoms of Fetal Distress Fetal distress specifically refers to oxygen deprivation, most often during labor, though it can occur toward the end of pregnancy at well. The
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Posted on Dec. 6 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Delivering a baby is both common and highly technical for an obstetrician. As such, there are countless problems that can occur during the process, yet a doctor will have trained for many years to anticipate them. A prolapsed umbilical cord is one of the most common problems, but also one of the most potentially dangerous. Still, it is often grounds for a medical malpractice claim because its damage is largely preventable. Signs of Trouble While there are many different problems that can occur with the umbilical cord, a prolapse is specifically when part of the cord slips down into the mother’s cervix before the baby makes an appearance during delivery.
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Posted on Dec. 3 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Lack of oxygen to the brain can cause all manner of problems, and it can be doubly agonizing when one second too long is the difference between a healthy child and a child with physical or mental difficulties. One of the worst types to deal with is referred to as periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). PVL causes brain damage by affecting the white matter, and can be debilitating. Medical Facts of PVL PVL almost exclusively affects fetuses and newborn babies, with premature babies being at even higher risk. The disease attacks the white matter in the brain – the part that transmits to the spinal cord – most commonly around fluid-filled areas called
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Posted on Dec. 1 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Birth injuries, by nature, are difficult to process because they take so little to occur; one second too long or one half-inch in the wrong direction can cause significant damage to a mother or child. Nowhere is this more apparent than when dealing with nerve injuries, or palsies. Some are more common than others, and as such, are more often the subject of lawsuits. Brachial Plexus Injuries Brachial plexus injuries (BPIs) are a common birth malady, and a good-sized portion of birth injury and medical malpractice lawsuits result from their occurrence. The brachial plexus is a network of nerves stemming from the spine, and given their relatively exposed position around
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Posted on Nov. 25 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
Even with the best prenatal care and the best doctors and nurses overseeing a pregnancy, it is still possible to contract an infection before, during or after delivery. Infections are insidious, and can strike without warning. Sometimes, they happen because of one mistake. It is always a good idea to make sure you know what is normal in these situations and what is not, so that you can react accordingly. Chorioamnionitis The most common infection found in women who have just given birth is called chorioamnionitis or intra-amniotic infection (IAI). IAI happens most often from irregularities in the genital tract, and it affects the amniotic fluid and placenta, as well
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Posted on Nov. 24 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
When a child is born with a disease or condition, such as cerebral palsy, it can be difficult for parents. While a diagnosis of cerebral palsy will not change the love most parents have for their children, it is still entirely understandable to want answers, especially if the child’s injury might have been caused by someone’s negligence. Understanding the nature of what cerebral palsy is and its related symptoms may be a good first step to determining if it was caused by the negligence of a medical provider. Causes of Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a generic term for a set of nerve and muscle problems that occur in
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Posted on Nov. 20 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
When a child is being born via natural delivery, there are many ways that something could go wrong. One of the most difficult and frightening problems that a mother and baby can experience during labor is something called shoulder dystocia. While there is almost no way to predict it, it does happen with regularity in delivery rooms, and it can either wind up a minor inconvenience, or it can cause severe difficulties. Medical Facts about Shoulder Dystocia Injuries Shoulder dystocia occurs when a child’s shoulders become lodged or stuck at the entry to the birth canal during delivery. However, sometimes it is hard to pin down when shoulder dystocia is actually
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Posted on Nov. 18 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
The birth of a child is supposed to be one of the most wonderful moments in a family’s history. However, it can quickly turn into a nightmare if proper care is not exercised. If the unthinkable happens, and mother or baby loses their life, understanding the family’s rights can help the survivors obtain some measure of compensation for this horrible loss. Maternal Death During Childbirth Statistics The United States, despite its civilized status, has an alarmingly high death rate for mothers during childbirth. The rate is actually increasing, despite advances in science and neonatal care; according to the National Institute of Health, the rate in 1982 was 7.5 deaths per
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Posted on Nov. 17 2014 in Personal Injury Cases
The delivery of a child is one of the most medically complex acts a doctor learns how to perform. Every second can matter, and every movement must be critically assessed. When deliveries need to be sped up, that action has traditionally been performed with forceps, though as medicine evolves, vacuum extractions have become more common. Nonetheless, both methods can lead to problems. It is important to know your rights if things take a turn for the worse. If your infant was injured as a result of poor use of vacuums or forceps, contact the Louisville birth injury lawyers at Meinhart & Manning, PLLC. Vacuum & Forceps: Uses & Risks If
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