4 Myths about Birth Injuries that You Shouldn’t Believe

Birth injuries can be as devastating to infants as they may be to parents, especially when preventable medical negligence may have contributed to these injuries. What can compound the impacts of birth injuries, however, is believing some of the misconceptions about them. This is because birth injury myths can mislead parents into compromising their options for financial recovery.

To prevent this and inform parents about the rights they and their children have, below, we have dispelled some common misconceptions about birth injuries. If you believe your child’s birth injury may have been caused by any type of medical mistake and you need legal advice now, however, don’t hesitate to contact the Portland medical malpractice lawyers at the Savage Law Firm.

The Facts about Birth Injuries

Myth 1: Birth injuries are always the result of genetic issues.

Fact: This is not true. In many cases, mistakes made by doctors and/or nurses during or after the labor and delivery process can contribute to birth injuries. Just some examples of these mistakes include:

• Failing to notice and promptly respond to signs of maternal or fetal distress
• Improper use of forceps and/or vacuum extraction
• Failing to perform C-sections when they are clearly needed.

In some cases, it can take the insight of an experienced lawyer to help determine when such mistakes have occurred and, consequently, when parents may have recourse to file birth injury cases against negligent medical professionals.

Myth 2: My child’s birth injury happened a long time ago. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

Fact: Don’t believe this or let this myth prevent you from consulting with a lawyer if you think medical negligence may have played a role in harming your child. The fact of the matter is that state laws provide a few years within in which birth injury cases can be filed; in particular, Oregon laws provide two years from the date of an incident or accident to file these types of claims.

Here, it should also be noted that, in some cases, this time frame can start from the date on which the injuries were discovered (rather than on the date when they occurred). So, don’t rely on assumptions when it comes to your legal options. Instead, consult with an experienced lawyer so you are informed and can take the right actions moving forward.

Myth 3: The doctor said the birth injury was unavoidable, so I don’t have a case.

Fact: This is also not always true, as the doctors who cause or played a role in causing birth injuries are probably going to be reluctant to admit to their negligence and accept the blame. So, again, it’s best to consult with a lawyer who can thoroughly review your case and determine:

• Whether medical mistakes contributed to a birth injury
• If so, what those mistakes were, as well as what your options are moving forward.

Myth 4: Even if medical mistakes caused my baby’s birth injury, there’s no way I can prove it.

Fact: Wrong again! There can be a variety of ways to prove that medical negligence contributed to birth injuries, with just some potential evidence including medical reports related to the birth and expert witness testimony.

Contact the Portland Medical Malpractice Lawyers at the Savage Law Firm

If you or your child has been harmed by any type of medical negligence, you can rely on the Portland medical malpractice lawyers at the Savage Law Firm for experienced help and aggressive legal advocacy.

To learn more about our legal services and what we can do for you, call us at 503-222-0200 (in Portland) or at 206-957-7272 (in Seattle). You can also email us using the form on this page. We represent clients in communities in both Oregon and Washington from our offices in Portland and Seattle.