Did something go wrong during your child’s birth in Tampa, FL? If your child suffered a birth injury, you might be entitled to compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and more. An experienced Tampa birth injury lawyer at Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers can help you fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Since we were founded in 1992, we’ve recovered more than $500 million in compensation for our clients. We’re here to help you deal with all your and your child’s damages.
To learn more, contact our law offices in Tampa, Florida online or call us at (813) 222-8656 to schedule a free consultation today.
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How Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Birth Injury Claim in Tampa
Doctors, nurses, and medical facilities are required to provide reasonably competent care. Medical standards are put into place to establish the baseline level of care you should expect. Unfortunately, not everyone satisfies their duties–and patients often suffer because of it.
If your child was injured at birth, you deserve to know why. However, medical malpractice claims can be complex. Our experienced Tampa injury lawyers understand how these cases work.
Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers is a trusted name in Tampa Bay. Our lawyers have more than 120 years of experience fighting for injured clients across the Tampa Bay area. We’ve earned Martindale-Hubbell’s “AV Preeminent” rating for our stellar legal services.
When you hire Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers, we’ll support you throughout the entire legal process by:
- Finding out how your child was injured
- Identifying all responsible parties and insurance coverage
- Hiring experts and specialists to offer insight into the value of your case
- Handling all communications and negotiations with the insurance companies
We know what you’re up against. We also know how to counter the insurance scare tactics that might otherwise lead you to back down.
Would you like to speak with a knowledgeable Tampa medical malpractice attorney about your case? Call our law offices anytime to schedule your free case review.
Overview of Birth Injuries
A birth injury is any type of injury that happens while a baby is being born. A birth injury can occur before the baby is born, during delivery, or immediately after birth. Some types of birth injuries result in the need for a lifetime of care.
Medical professionals have a duty to monitor the mother during pregnancy, labor, and in the delivery room. If your child was hurt because of medical negligence, our lawyers are here to help hold all responsible parties accountable.
Types of Birth Injury
At Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of birth injury claims, including those involving:
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Erb’s Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Shoulder dystocia
- Spinal cord injuries
- Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage
- Broken Bones
- Cephalohematoma
- Caput Succedaneum
- Brain damage
- Placental abruption, which can cut off a baby’s oxygen supply
- Uterine rupture
Many of these injuries are entirely preventable. If your child was injured during childbirth or delivery, give us a call for a free case review today. Our Tampa birth injury attorneys would be happy to sit down and explain your legal options.
How Common Are Birth Injuries?
You expect the birth of your child to be a joyful event. Unfortunately, a lot can go wrong during the birthing process.
Birth injuries are much more common than you might imagine. Out of every 1,000 births in the United States, six to eight infants are born with a birth injury. That’s about 76 birth injuries per day.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Birth Injuries?
The signs and symptoms of birth injuries can be extremely varied. They’ll depend upon the exact type of injury your child suffered. Some signs to watch for at birth include:
- Bruising or swelling
- The need for resuscitation
- Skin turning pale or blue
- Low heart rate
- An arched back when crying
- Weak reflexes
- An extremely high-pitched cry
- Diminished heart rate
- Trouble breathing
- Extremely rapid breathing
- Seizures soon after birth
Some birth injuries don’t show up immediately. They might show up as developmental difficulties, such as:
- Trouble speaking
- Difficulty crawling or walking
- Strange movements
- Eating or drinking problems
- Difficulty holding items
- Lack of coordination
- Hearing problems
It’s important to seek regular medical care for your child to diagnose and treat any injuries that may have a delayed presentation.
What Causes Most Birth Injuries?
Birth injuries are often caused by medical error. In other words, many birth injuries occur because of medical malpractice.
Some of the most common causes of birth injuries include:
- Improper use of forceps, vacuum extractors, or similar devices during labor and delivery
- Failure to convert to a C-Section when needed
- Failure to properly monitor the mother and fetus during pregnancy
- Failure to properly monitor vital signs during labor and delivery
- Oxygen deprivation
- Failure to diagnose a medical condition
- Medication errors
- Communication errors between staff members
- Lack of experience
If you believe your baby was harmed because of a health care provider’s negligence, don’t hesitate to reach out for legal advice today. Call Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer.
What is My Tampa Birth Injury Case Worth?
A number of factors come into play in determining how much your birth injury case is worth. The nature and severity of your child’s injuries tend to be the most important factors.
With proper treatment, some children who suffer birth injuries go on to lead relatively normal lives. Others could require life-long care or suffer a disability that creates challenges at every turn. Overall, the value of your birth injury claim will depend upon:
- The types of medical treatment your child will require (and the cost)
- Whether your child will suffer a long-term or permanent disability
- The impact of the injury on your child’s future educational and career prospects
- Disruptions to your child’s ability to enjoy a normal childhood
- The cost of your lost wages, income, and other expenses related to caring for your child
To negotiate a fair settlement, you’ll first have to be prepared with all the facts. That includes knowing how much your personal injury case is worth.
Expect the insurance company to have a different idea about the value of your child’s case. Our lawyers at Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers are familiar with the tricks the insurer will use to downplay your child’s suffering. We’ll bring in experts and specialists in medicine, education, and life planning to strengthen your case.
Our primary goal is to recover the maximum compensation you deserve. To learn more about how we can help, call our law firm for a free initial consultation today.
What Compensation Can I Recover for Birth Injuries in Tampa, Florida?
Victims of medical malpractice can recover two primary types of damages in Florida: economic damages and non-economic damages. Each category compensates you for a different set of losses.
Economic damages refer to financial losses. You should be entitled to compensation for all of your out-of-pocket expenses, including things like:
- Past and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Medications and medical devices
- In-home assistance
- Specialized education programs
- Counseling and therapy
- Your lost wages and income while you care for your child
- Your child’s diminished future earning potential
Non-economic damages compensate for your personal losses. Watching your child suffer an injury in the very first moments of life can be extremely traumatizing. That doesn’t even account for the pain you may experience if your child suffered a long-term injury.
Non-economic damages attempt to compensate for those types of losses. You may be entitled to receive money for:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of a normal childhood
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of your child’s company and support
Some birth injuries are fatal. If you lost your child because of a tragic mistake, our team can help you fight to recover damages for wrongful death.
How Long Do I Have to File a Birth Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
The state of Florida limits the amount of time you have to take legal action. The Florida statute of limitations in medical malpractice cases is two years. That means you’ll have to file a medical malpractice lawsuit within two years of the date you discovered that your child suffered a birth injury.
The clock doesn’t always begin to run at the date of birth. Sometimes it can take time for a birth injury to become apparent. If that’s the case, you’ll have two years from the date you reasonably should have known about the injury.
Do you have questions about the deadline for taking legal action? Call our law offices right away. These cases can take time to prepare–and the sooner we get to work, the better your chances of recovering maximum compensation.
Contact a Tampa Birth Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If your child was injured at birth, we know you’re struggling. When you hire Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers, you can rest assured that a skilled Tampa birth injury lawyer will go above and beyond to secure the fair compensation you need. To get started, just call our law firm to schedule a free consultation today.
