Birth Injury Lawyer Winnipeg

Servicing Winnipeg and all of Manitoba

When you hold a newborn in your arms for the first time, what words come to mind? Beautiful? Precious? Tiny? Delicate? Fragile? But there’s one word we hope doesn’t come to mind: injured.

Birth injuries are not nearly as rare as we’d like to think. Each year infants (and expectant mothers) experience injuries during pregnancy, labour and delivery and in the immediate post-delivery period. Some of these injuries and accidents may be unavoidable. However, there are times when medical providers’ negligent actions or inaction during the course of a pregnancy cause the mother and her baby serious harm that is otherwise preventable.

Obstetrical malpractice can have far-reaching consequences, especially when birth injuries result in permanent disability, loss of function of death. Some of the these birth injuries and disabilities may be readily apparent at birth, while others may not reveal the extent of the damage until weeks, months or years later. For the injured person and their loved ones, the pain and suffering caused the negligence of others can last a lifetime.

Common Types of Birth Injuries

Medical practitioners and institutions providing care and treatment before, during or immediately following labour and delivery must adhere to certain professional standards. If a breach in those standards of care occurs due to negligence that causes or contributes to a patient experiencing serious harm, it’s referred to as obstetrical malpractice under the law.

Examples of obstetrical malpractice include ignoring or incorrectly assessing and treating troubling signs of fetal or birth trauma. For example, fetal tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate) can be a sign of in utero infection, maternal infection, improperly managed maternal medication, placental insufficiency (lack of oxygen or nutrients passing through the placenta to the fetus) or perinatal asphyxia (oxygen deprivation).

Problems during a delivery that are not handled properly can also create serious injury. Prolonged or traumatic labour can cause meconium aspiration (the infant ingests its first fecal matter and amniotic fluids into its lungs). During some deliveries, the baby can become lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone (shoulder dystocia) causing brachial plexus palsies and nerve injuries. Forceful extractions and improper use of medical tools may also lead to spinal cord injuries, broken bones or scaring or brain injuries and cerebral palsy.

The cost of rehabilitation, therapy and extensive care can be astronomical in the most serious cases. And the emotional toll this stressful situation can take on you and your loved ones is unimaginable to anyone who has not experienced this kind of tragedy.

We’re Here To Help When You’ve Been Hurt

When birth injuries result in permanent disability or an untimely death, no action can ever fully repair the damage that has been done to you or your loved one. But obtaining financial resources to assist with rehabilitation and compensate for pain and suffering can help you to build the conditions needed for a good quality of life. Howie, Sacks and Henry’s experienced and knowledgeable birth injury lawyers can help you with an obstetrical malpractice claim in Winnipeg.

Recognized as one of the country’s top personal injury firms by our peers, HSH has built a strong reputation as a client-focussed firm. Our trusted birth injury lawyers approach every client interaction with empathy, compassion and attentive care. We understand this period of your life is very stressful and may feel overwhelming at times. Our goal is to support you through this process and ensure you never feel you’re in this alone.

An HSH birth injury lawyer will be pleased to meet you in your own home in Winnipeg or at a nearby consultation office, so you will never need to worry that distance or ability to travel will be an obstacle to obtaining high quality legal representation. As we listen to your story, we’ll offer advice about your options and help to facilitate the assessments, testing or therapies you or your loved one will need to strengthen your case and assist in your recovery.

With HSH’s trusted and skillful birth injury lawyers on your side and by your side in Winnipeg, we hope new words will begin to come to mind: Resilient, Effective, Advocate, Hope, Peace.