birth injuries

CDC: 1 in 5 Women Report Mistreatment During Maternity Care

February 20, 2024 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 20% of women report experiencing medical mistreatment from their healthcare providers during maternity care. West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyer pregnancy

As our West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyers can explain, it is the job of fetal and obstetrical medical professionals to do their best to ensure the safest and healthiest pregnancy outcomes for their patients. Of course, with any pregnancy, labor, and childbirth, there is a risk of adverse outcomes that can include serious illness, injury and even death. But often, when healthcare professionals are meeting the applicable standard of care, that risk is significantly minimized. If a healthcare worker’s substandard care contributes to the death of the mother or serious injury to a fetus that survives birth, it can be grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death medical malpractice claim.

There is currently no provision in the Florida Wrongful Death Act that allows surviving parents to sue for the death of a stillborn fetus. It may be possible for the mother, and in some cases the father, to sue for mental anguish relating to the loss. These claims are usually as part of a personal injury claim filed by the mother. However, existing law doesn’t allow for such a claim to be made for “wrongful death.”

A bill pending in the Florida legislature would amend the law to add “parents of an unborn child” to the list of people who can file wrongful death lawsuits. It’s not clear whether it will pass, however, as it’s drawn sharp criticism from abortion rights advocates over the implications the law could have for doctors who perform abortions, medically necessary or otherwise. (It does contain a caveat that such a claim couldn’t be filed against the mother.)

Civil lawsuits for maternal deaths resulting from medical malpractice are more straightforward in the right to file a claim, but still potentially complicated. It’s not enough to show that an adverse outcome occurred while a patient was under the care of the healthcare provider in question. One must show strong evidence of medical negligence which directly resulted in an adverse outcome for the pregnant person.

Some examples of situations that may give rise to a birth or pregnancy-related medical malpractice claim include: Continue reading

Filing a Birth Injury Lawsuit in South Florida

September 15, 2020 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

For every 1,000 children born in the U.S., 1.9 suffer some type of birth injury, also referred to as birth trauma. The good news is this rate has fallen from about 2.6 for every 1,000 births since 2004, as the use of instruments like forceps and vacuums have become less common. filing a birth injury lawsuit

But if your child is one of those who has suffered some type of birth trauma, it’s important to talk with an attorney about filing a birth injury lawsuit. A baby who sustains injuries at birth can suffer lifelong consequences to one’s physical, cognitive, psychological and social development. If the cause was medical negligence, the child and his/her caregivers will need additional treatment (therapies, surgeries, special education, etc.) and other support.

Birth injury lawsuits are a type of legal action taken against the doctors, nurses or other medical professionals who may have been responsible for the child’s injuries, which can include conditions like:

Cerebral palsy
Erb’s palsy
Brachial palsy
Shoulder dystocia
Bruising or forceps marks
Fractures
Subconjunctival hemorrhage
Brain damage
Other nerve injuries
Wrongful death

Attorney Halberg Negotiates $2.3M Fort Myers Medical Malpractice Settlement

September 1, 2017 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

Halberg & Fogg PLLC, recently secured a $2.3 million medical malpractice settlement with Golisano Children’s Hospital, stemming from a brain injury and arm amputation of a newborn in 2013.

Halberg fought on behalf of the boy, who was born prematurely at his Lee County home before being whisked to the hospital. As noted in the original complaint, nurses at the hospital are accused of improperly inserting an intravenous line known as a PICC (short for peripherally inserted central catheter).

This medical mistake remained undetected for almost a full week. This was despite the fact the baby had signs and symptoms of serious issues due to impeded blood flow. By the time medical workers discovered their mistake, the newborn’s fingertips were black. His hand was shriveled. Continue reading