How Can Our Chicago Birth Trauma Attorneys Help You?
Your case will start with a free consultation. You can meet with a Chicago birth injury lawyer from Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. at our Chicago or Lake County office or at a location that is most convenient for you, including your home. The consultation will be strictly confidential, and it will carry no obligation.
During the consultation, we can learn more about your case. For instance, we will want to know when you first suspected that a birth injury occurred. We also will want to know how the injury has impacted the life of your child and your family.
If we agree to work together, our legal team can get to work on your case right away. We will take steps that include:
- Investigating your case – You may need to sign a release that allows us to obtain and analyze the medical records from your pregnancy, delivery and postnatal care. We may also interview witnesses who can shed light on how the injury occurred.
- Consulting with experts – We will review your case with independent medical experts who can help us to determine whether a doctor, midwife, nurse or other medical professional failed to meet the recognized standard of care. We will also consult with experts to calculate the amount of damages that should be sought in your case.
- Making a settlement demand – After we have thoroughly prepared your case, we may make an initial settlement demand to the medical care provider’s malpractice insurance company. If liability and damages are uncontested, a case may be resolved at this point.
- File a lawsuit – If a pre-litigation settlement cannot be reached, we can go forward with filing a complaint in the proper Illinois Circuit Court or federal District Court. After a lawsuit is filed, it initiates a formal evidence-gathering process called discovery. We can continue settlement discussions throughout this stage.
- Take your case to trial – If liability and/or damages are contested, it may be in your best interest to try your case in court. Our skilled medical malpractice lawyers will be ready to present the strongest case possible on your behalf, including presenting expert witness testimony and professionally crafted exhibits. Keep in mind: A settlement may be reached in the course of a trial or even after a verdict is returned.
- Collect and disburse funds – If a settlement or verdict is obtained in your favor, we will work quickly to collect and disburse the funds owed to you as well as to resolve any liens that may be attached to your recovery.
When you work with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., you will pay no costs or legal fees unless we are able to obtain a settlement or verdict on your behalf.
Types of Birth Injuries Caused by Medical Negligence
About three of every 100 births involve some type of serious birth injury. In some situations, “natural” circumstances can cause oxygen deprivation during the labor and delivery process. For instance, the umbilical cord may become compressed or twisted, or the baby may be too large to easily pass through the birth canal.
In many instances, birth injuries, especially to the brain, are caused by mistakes made by doctors, hospitals or other medical professionals during the delivery process.
Medical errors that can cause birth injuries include:
If any of these events occurred before, during or after your labor or your child’s delivery, medical malpractice may have played a part in your child’s birth injury.
By taking legal action, you can get the answers you deserve about what went wrong and caused your child’s birth injury as well as pursue full and fair compensation for the harm you and your child have suffered.
Additionally, a legal claim may ultimately bring attention to problems and force a hospital or individual medical professionals to make changes, which can prevent similar birth injuries from occurring in the future.