Arizona Obstetrical Malpractice Attorneys
Protecting Mothers and Infants After Obstetrical Malpractice in Arizona
An OB/GYN plays a crucial role in the mother’s life during pregnancy and childbirth. They provide essential medical care and counseling to protect both mother and child. But when an OB/GYN fails to diagnose serious medical conditions during pregnancy that may lead to injuries, it can have severe consequences. And errors made by the delivery team can also lead to health complications, including birth injuries that cause catastrophic injuries.
As a patient, you don’t know for sure if the injuries you sustained were caused by medical malpractice. At Leventhal Puga Braley P.C., our Arizona obstetric malpractice lawyers will investigate your situation, and then we’ll file claims for damages against anyone whose negligent behavior hurt you or your child.
Call (877) 433-3906 to learn more today.
What Is Obstetric Medicine?
Obstetrics encompasses all medical and surgical care that relates to childbirth. This includes medical practices meant to protect both mother and child during pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
An obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) is a medical doctor who focuses on female reproductive health, pregnancy, and childbirth. When a child is born, an OB/GYN will be in charge of the delivery team.
Prenatal Care and High-Risk Pregnancies
During pregnancy, expectant mothers meet regularly with their OB/GYN to ensure everything is progressing smoothly. These appointments feature sonograms and other medical tests to closely monitor how the pregnancy is proceeding. It’s particularly important for the OB/GYN to keep an eye on the baby’s heart rate for signs of consistency.
A major risk to both mother and child is preeclampsia, persistent high blood pressure that affects the blood supply in the placenta. Preeclampsia, which usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy, may cause complications for the mother including headaches, shortness of breath, blurred vision, kidney damage, and abdominal pain. When not treated properly, preeclampsia can cause severe damage or be fatal for the mother or the child.
An OB/GYN screens the expectant mother for signs of high-risk pregnancy, conditions that bring about elevated health risks for the mother, the fetus, or both. Maternal conditions associated with high-risk pregnancies include:
- High blood pressure
- Previous preterm birth
- Thyroid disease
- Multiple births
- HIV-positive
- Kidney disease
- Autoimmune diseases
- Zika infections
- Overweight
- Diabetes
- Under 17 years old
- Tuberculosis
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Over 35 years old
What Is Obstetric Malpractice?
Medical malpractice occurs when a patient is harmed by substandard medical care that results from the negligent actions of a medical professional. Negligence is defined as careless actions or a failure to act that deviates from basic professional standards.
Obstetric malpractice can occur during the prenatal period, while the mother is in labor, or after the baby is delivered. Malpractice may result from the negligent actions of physicians, hospital administrators, nurses, or anyone who’s part of the delivery team.
A frequent form of obstetric malpractice is the failure to detect the following conditions before labor begins:
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Umbilical cord complications
- A detached placenta
- Uterine infection
- Cerebral palsy
- Down syndrome
- Congenital heart defects
- Chorioamniotic membrane separation
Catastrophic birth injuries may result when the following errors occur before, during, or after childbirth:
- Medication errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Improper birthing techniques
- Failure to sterilize equipment
- Failure to identify signs of fetal distress
- Failure to perform a timely C-section
- Failure to attempt to resuscitate a fetus
- Failure to review the mother’s medical history
- Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors
Harm Caused by Obstetric Malpractice
Careless actions committed by an OB/GYN or other medical professionals can have serious consequence for you and your child. Obstetric malpractice may cause the following types of harm to your child:
- Physical, cognitive, and developmental impairment
- Brachial plexus injury
- Nerve damage
- Cerebral palsy
- Bone fractures
- Spinal cord damage
- Cephalohematoma
- Wrongful death
Obstetric malpractice can also harm the mother, resulting in:
- Excessive hemorrhaging
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Muscle damage
- Heart failure
- Blood clots
- Strokes
- Wrongful death
How an Arizona Obstetrical Malpractice Attorney Can Help
At Leventhal Puga Braley P.C., our trial lawyers have won millions of dollars in settlements for victims of obstetric malpractice. These injuries can generate astronomical medical expenses for your family. But you shouldn’t have to pay medical bills for injuries caused by someone else’s careless behavior.
Your first consultation is free, and you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case. Call (877) 433-3906 to schedule a consultation with an Arizona medical malpractice lawyer today.
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