New mothers and fathers choose to file birth injury lawsuits for numerous reasons. Certainly, one common reason is ensuring that an injured mother or her injured child receives enough compensation to cover his or her necessary medical care in the short-term and long-term.
However, it is also common for parents to be motivated by a wider-reaching inspiration. Specifically, they hope that their lawsuit and their birth story will help to inspire change. In this, they help to ensure that fewer similar incidents will occur in the future.
A recent case helps to spark change
Earlier this year, a lawsuit filed on behalf of a mother injured during birth resulted in a multi-million dollar verdict. Oftentimes, when a baby is injured during birth, public outrage ensues. But when a mother is injured during birth, she can be made to feel like the injury is her fault. This significant verdict is helping to change this disturbing trend.
When the woman was in labor, she was made to “wait” to deliver her child until a doctor could arrive. A nurse held down and another held her child’s head inside the birth canal to prevent her from birthing the child. When the doctor finally arrived, significant damage had been done to the woman’s body and she suffers significantly as a result.
How your case can help to change the status quo
Your birth story may be similar to this case or it may be dissimilar. But if the medical team that attended your child’s birth behaved in a way that caused mother or infant harm, you may have grounds upon which to file a birth injury lawsuit.
Some individuals are hesitant to hold medical professionals accountable for these kinds of injuries. They sometimes fear lengthy legal battles. And sometimes, they simply do not want to feel that they are “punishing” medical professionals for making mistakes as everyone does.
However, it is important to remember that lawsuits primarily exist not to punish, but to protect the interests of individuals who have been harmed and to inspire positive change. Please keep this in mind when contemplating whether or not to file a lawsuit on your child’s behalf.