Every parent wants to know that their child was born healthy and happy. However, if the child begins to display delays in development, this could start to worry a parent. Birth injuries during delivery could cause a severe condition that could significantly affect the development of a child. If your child was a victim of a birth injury in Maryland, you should consult with an experienced Baltimore birth injury lawyer as soon as possible.
At Bennett & Heyman, we are dedicated to fighting for newborns suffering developmental delays due to birth injury caused by malpractice in Maryland. Our firm has worked on a variety of birth injury claims, and we are ready to fight for you. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your potential malpractice claim, contact Bennett & Heyman at (410) 429-7856. You may also contact the firm online.
What Types of Birth Injuries Can Cause Infant Developmental Delays in Maryland?
A parent will have a difficult time learning that their child is having trouble reaching developmental milestones. This news can be even more devastating if a parent learns that the injuries to their newborn were caused due to a mistake by a medical practitioner. While there are various reasons why a child could suffer from developmental delays, there are some circumstances that are more prevalent than others. The following is a list of birth injuries that may cause infant developmental delays.
Physical Trauma
During the birth of a child, a doctor and other medical staff should take extensive precautions to avoid injuring a newborn. However, some doctors may use excessive force when trying to deliver a child. For example, if a doctor pulls a child’s limbs too hard when trying to extract the child from the birth canal, the fragile newborn could be easily injured.
The incorrect use of birth-assisting instruments is another common cause of physical trauma. Birth-assisting devices like forceps and vacuum extractors are used to help pull an infant from the womb if a mother has a difficult labor. However, if these tools are improperly attached to the head of a child, they could suffer a brain injury or another type of serious injury.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a condition identified by damage to the brain that occurs before or during a delivery. Brain damage can lead to a number of delays in developmental milestones for a newborn. For example, a child with brain damage could have trouble walking or speaking.
There are other conditions that can cause a child to miss a developmental milestone. A parent should always be aware of signs that may indicate that a child is experiencing a delay in development. For example, if you notice that your child is extremely clumsy and has trouble with simple tasks, this may be an indication that they have missed a developmental delay. The following is other signs and symptoms of developmental delay:
- Issues with vision (e.g., needs to view objects carefully, turns head to see objects)
- The child does not react to visual or vocal cues
- The child speaks louder than necessary
- Stiff movements
- Issues with aggression towards others
- Poor social skills
This is not an exhaustive list. It is important to have your child examined if you believe they are missing developmental milestones. This is especially vital if some signs of developmental delay can be linked to other issues.
To learn more about filing a medical malpractice claim against a doctor or hospital in Maryland, you should continue reading and contact an experienced Baltimore birth injury lawyer.
Holding Doctors Liable for Infant Delays in Development in Maryland
After discovering that your child is experiencing delays in development caused by a birth injury, it is natural to wonder who can be held liable for your child’s injuries. When a birth injury occurs, many times, it can be linked to a doctor acting negligently. However, there could be multiple parties that are liable for a doctor’s actions.
A hospital could be held liable for the actions of a doctor or other employee through the doctrine of respondeat superior. This doctrine states that an employer can be vicariously liable for the negligent actions of an employee. Specifically, an employer can be held vicariously liable if an employee commits a negligent act that is within the scope of their employment. For example, if a medical practitioner causes a physical injury to a newborn that results in a developmental delay, this may open up the medical practitioner and their employer to a birth injury claim in Maryland.
Note, however, that you should not assume that a hospital is responsible for the negligent acts of a doctor without verification. In some cases, a hospital may hire a doctor as an independent contractor; this could make it difficult to hold the Maryland hospital responsible for the doctor’s actions.
Consult with Our Devoted Maryland Lawyer for Infant Delay in Development to Sue for Your Birth Injury
If your child was a victim of infant developmental delay due to a birth injury, you should consult with an experienced Maryland lawyer for birth injuries that cause infant developmental delay. The legal team at Bennett & Heyman are prepared to fight for a victim of medical malpractice whose life was changed due to the negligence of a doctor. Our firm would be honored to work with you. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your potential Baltimore medical malpractice lawsuit, contact Bennett & Heyman at (410) 429-7856. Our firm is also available by using our online submission form.
