Labor and delivery errors and cover-ups: how to identify them and get help
The oath that every doctor takes is to do no harm. Most put this into practice every day using their skills and experience to save lives, heal patients or bring new lives into the world. Sometimes however, medical errors occur. These mistakes can be devastating, especially when babies are involved and the errors occur during labor and delivery. To make matters worse, sometimes medical professionals will not report their mistakes or even falsify records in order to cover up what really happened.
Below is information on the types of labor and delivery errors that commonly occur, signs that medical mistakes caused a birth injury and tips for getting help with a medical cover up.
Types of Labor and Delivery Errors
About 5 to 7 of every 1,000 births in the U.S. result in some sort of birth trauma and many of these cases are due to errors made by physicians, nurses or other healthcare providers. Some of the most common labor and delivery errors include:
Potential signs that errors may have caused birth injury
The first step that parents often take following their child’s diagnosis of permanent injury like cerebral palsy or mental retardation is to seek out answers from the medical community. Why did this happen? Was it preventable? Often, however, the medical community is less than helpful and parents are faced with inaccuracies, false information and medical cover up.
There are some signs to look for, however, that may indicate that the medical mistakes shown above occurred:
Actions You Can Take if you Suspect Labor & Delivery Errors are Being Covered Up
No one likes to admit a mistake. In the medical community, the stakes for errors are especially high. Doctors and hospitals do not want to experience repercussions from medical errors as reputations and credentialing may be negatively affected. Further, medical professionals do not want to have to pay families for their mistakes and so many times, errors are “swept under the rug.” Crucial records are inaccurate or reflect more favorable events that what actually happened. Other records are changed afterwards and some are even “lost.”
So what can you do if you suspect your child’s injury is due to a labor and delivery error and it is being covered up? The answer is simple -- get legal assistance as soon as possible. An experienced and qualified attorney can obtain critical medical records which you may not have been given. The attorney will review and understand the complex events that took place in the labor and delivery room and the inaccuracies in the records and cover ups will be identified. And most importantly, you can recover the compensation your child deserves.
Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers Can Help
At Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers, we work with premiere neurologists, neuroradiologists, obstetricians, labor nurses, child development specialists, therapists, life care planners and more to identify labor and delivery mistakes and negligence, and expose medical cover ups. We have solid legal skills in birth injury litigation and an impressive record of success to back it up. Contact Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers today.