Irvine Labor and Delivery Malpractice Lawyer

For most parents, childbirth is a time of unsurpassed joy and celebration. Unfortunately, the birthing process also comes with some risks that parents expect their physician to minimize. Most physicians do this, but others do not provide the care their patients need to have a happy and healthy baby. Medical malpractice lawsuits are complex and often can take years to settle or result in an outcome. For this reason, parents should work with a skilled Irvine labor and delivery malpractice lawyer who could represent their legal interests. Hospitals and physician practices often have access to extensive funds and their own legal teams, and without an experienced birth injury lawyer on their side, patients and their loved ones may not be successful in filing suit.

Defining Medical Malpractice

Doctors and other medical professionals are only human, and fortunately, most medical mistakes do not result in serious harm or lawsuits. Medical malpractice only occurs when a medical provider makes a conscious decision to deviate from the accepted standard of care or not provide adequate attention.

Physicians and other medical professionals undergo years of specialized training and education and are expected to act in the best interest of their patients at all times. Unfortunately, malpractice is more common than many people think, and when it does occur, patients and their newborns are often left with extensive emotional and physical damage. Medical issues caused by the malpractice are often more severe than the medical issue the physician was initially supposed to treat. To determine whether a doctor’s actions constitute malpractice, it is important to consult a well-versed Irvine labor and delivery malpractice attorney.

What Acts Constitute Labor and Delivery Malpractice?

The vast majority of doctors have a deep concern for those they treat and keep their best interest in mind at all times, but some simply do not. More concerned with money than their patients, these doctors do not provide the standard of care they initially promised to provide when they entered the field.

The following negligent actions can be considered labor and delivery malpractice:

  • Failure to notice fetal distress
  • Failure to perform a timely C-section
  • Misuse of birth extraction tools
  • Failure to treat post-birth infection
  • Providing subpar infant care

Other common forms of labor malpractice include failing to stop bleeding in the mother after the baby is born or misdiagnosing other critical conditions. Such acts endanger the lives of both infants and their mothers, and negligent medical professionals should be held liable by an Irvine labor and delivery malpractice lawyer.

Establishing Liability in Irvine

To successful file a lawsuit, an attorney must prove a medical professional owed a duty of care to the injured individual. They must also prove this duty of care was breached. In the medical world, the duty of care is breached with a medical provider drastically deviates from the accepted standard of care, causing harm to the patient they are supposed to be treating.

During proceedings, lawyers may need to obtain testimony from other medical professionals to establish what the universally accepted standard of care actually is. They will also need to show the actions of the medical professional or facility resulted in illness or injury.

Talk to an Irvine Labor and Delivery Malpractice Attorney

If you believe you or your newborn were harmed by a carelessness of a medical practitioner or facility, you may be wondering what your legal options are. Malpractice is a terrible act, especially when it involves a newborn child, and you may be entitled to compensation for your suffering. Call an Irvine labor and delivery malpractice lawyer to learn more.