Preparing to have a child is often one of the scariest and most exciting times in anyone’s life. When it comes time to bring the baby into the world, many births run smoothly for the mother and infant. But what happens when things go wrong? Who should be held accountable for birth injuries? Our Charleston birth injury lawyers are prepared to find you the much needed answers to those questions.

Why Birth Injuries Occur

Birth injuries can lead to serious, lifelong consequences. According to the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, six to eight of every 1,000 infants are born with a birth injury. Women between the ages of 25 and 34 are more likely to sustain a birth injury when they have a birthing tool-assisted delivery.

If you or a loved one have been injured while under the care of a healthcare professional, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice case. While medical errors happen for a variety of reasons, there is never an excuse.

If you find yourself seeking legal guidance after a medical malpractice event, it’s likely you’ll realize just how complex these cases can be. At DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC, we’ll make these complicated legal matters easy to understand. Let’s start by going over the why most medical malpractice claims are considered civil cases.

Errors in the operating room can have permanent, life-altering consequences. We trust our doctors and surgeons to perform medical procedures efficiently and with our best interests in mind; however, surgical errors are much more common than you may think.

According to a study done by Johns Hopkins, surgical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. They approximate that more than 250,000 deaths are caused by surgical errors every year. Our West Virginia surgical error lawyers are here to hold those medical professionals and hospitals accountable for their deadly mistakes.

Common Surgical Errors

Foreign objects are left in the patient’s body. 

A variety of equipment and medical tools are used during all surgeries. Too frequently, one of those tools is left inside a patient. This includes objects like scalpels, gauze, sponges, and clamps. Once left inside, the object can cause severe pain and infection. A secondary surgery and longer recovery time are necessary to remove the item and heal.