For Mothers Who Sustained Injuries During or After a C-Section
For many women across the United States, the prospect of motherhood is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. After all, you will be bringing a new life into the world, but you will have to endure quite a traumatic experience to do so. Although you may be courageous and ready for the unbelievable feat you are going to perform, nothing can prepare you for the terrifying outcome of maternal injuries, especially from the tricky C-section procedure.
If you have suffered from a severe injury during this surgery, do not panic. With the help of a professional attorney with medical malpractice experience, you can get the justice you and your baby deserve.
THE C-SECTION PROCEDURE
Each of us is familiar with the Caesarean Section (or C-section, for short), a procedure that is completed when a mother cannot naturally deliver her baby (or babies). As part of this process, a doctor will make an incision through the uterine wall and deliver the baby through the opening in the mother’s abdomen. While crude, the process can make life much easier and safer for mother and child.
Overall, some women will opt for a C-section to avoid the pain of natural births or to avoid medical complications during birth, which include:
- A previous C-section;
- A risk of breech birth (where the baby is turned feet-first);
- Placenta previa (when the placenta is blocking the cervix);
- A risk of transverse (sideways) birth; and/or
- Twin or triplet pregnancy, where a baby is positioned breech or transverse.
However, in some cases, mothers need to undergo an emergency C-section due to:
- The baby’s head is too large to exit through the cervix;
- No progression of labor;
- Distress to the baby;
- Prolapse of the umbilical cord through the cervix; and/or
- High blood pressure.
RISKS DURING A C-SECTION
Due to the intricacy of the newborn’s physical connection to the mother, the C-section can still pose risks to both patients. In the case of the mother, though, she is additionally being put at risk for a variety of short-term or long-term problems that can be caused by negligence or accident. These risks include:
- During the procedure: Anesthesia risks (possible allergy), emergency blood transfusion, hysterectomy due to severe bleeding, and/or placenta previa;
- Postoperative: Thromboembolic problems (embolism or thrombosis), adhesions, and/or chronic pain; and
- Pregnancy risk: Intrauterine growth retardation, premature births, abortion, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, rupture of the uterus, infertility, hysterectomy, bleeding, and/or placenta previa.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE SUIT
Chapter 68 of the Title 18 Insurance Code issued by the State Law of Delaware provides the layout of all rights for patients who have suffered at the hands of medical negligence. Keep in mind that, under section 6852, patients shall not receive compensation if the procedure was not part of a non-emergency treatment or surgical process and no evidence of malpractice has been provided. On that note, if you do have substantial evidence against your obstetrician or any parties that were responsible for your injuries, you will hold a viable case in court.
YOUR DELAWARE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
If you have been forced to undergo a C-section to deliver your baby and have suffered severe injuries as a result, contact our law offices today. We at Edelstein, Martin, & Nelson are passionate about our practice and are fully knowledgeable in the laws, rules, and statutes surrounding unfortunate medical malpractice incidences throughout the State of Delaware.
We fight for the rights of each victim and their closest family members and will help them receive the justice they more than deserve. Have you suffered from a C-section-related injury? For legal advice and representation, contact our office today at 800-300-0909 to file your claim.