ClickCease Labor & Delivery Negligence | Birth Injury Lawyers

San Francisco Labor and Delivery Negligence Lawyers

For more than 50 years, our birth injury trial and settlement attorneys have helped families of infants harmed by labor and delivery room negligence. When doctors and hospitals fail to exercise a reasonable standard of care for one of the most important events in the life of a family, they should be held accountable for their actions.

Helping Children And Their Families Since 1959

Injury during birth often stems from a lack of oxygen to the brain. A fetus suffering from intrauterine asphyxia will almost always show signs of distress. Doctors, nurses, midwives and other labor and delivery professionals are trained to recognize symptoms of fetal distress and react accordingly.

  • If a healthcare provider falls below accepted standards in recognizing the signs of fetal distress, irreversible injury can result.
  • Technology, including an internal fetal heart rate monitor is a common tool in avoiding permanent injury as a result of difficult or complicated labor.
  • Our birth injury trial and settlement attorneys have handled hundreds of cases that involve an allegation of birth trauma secondary to negligent monitoring.

Our attorneys understand how to read and interpret fetal heart strips. They understand how to read and interpret labor and delivery room records. They are familiar with the guidelines promulgated by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) governing emergency Caesarian sections, and the time limits within which hospitals must be prepared to carry out a successful C-section from “decision-to-incision.”

Highly Knowledgeable Guidance In Birth Injury Cases

The birth injury trial and settlement lawyers at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger are skilled in determining whether a newborn’s injuries are the result of negligence, or, alternatively, unavoidable complications or genetic causes.

Our attorneys investigate whether medical personnel recognize changes on the heart rate monitors, whether medical records accurately track changes in the birth mother’s condition; whether changes in the condition of mother or baby are promptly reported to the managing physician; they look to see whether a managing physician or midwife has been communicating with nurses, reading the chart, and appreciating any changes in the oxygenation or heart rate of the fetus; our specialists review the chronological timeline of labor to determine whether medical professionals respond promptly to changes in the heart rate of mother or baby; our trial and settlement professionals evaluate whether nursing staffs follow the appropriate “chain of command” and seek additional help from on-site staff physicians where a managing obstetrician or midwife is not doing his or her job.

Handling Cases Involving Labor And Delivery Negligence

When birth trauma is preventable the attorneys at Walkup, Melodia in San Francisco are prepared to investigate the case with the help of medical experts who specialize in birth injury cases.

  • Did failure to monitor contribute to the birth trauma? Fetal monitoring can offer forewarning of fetal distress. If the medical staff is not watching the monitor, important signs can be missed — and the baby and mother can suffer life-changing injuries.
  • Was there a failure to do a C-section when it was clearly indicated? A cesarean section can relieve the baby of stress that could otherwise cause brain damage or brachial plexus injury.
  • Was the baby injured by forceps? Did a lack of oxygen cause cerebral palsy? Our medical experts can examine the delivery room records to determine what steps were taken to prevent injury.
  • Was Rh incompatibility anticipated and treated during the pregnancy?

Talk To Our San Francisco Birth Trauma Lawyers

When a mother or child is injured because of medical negligence at the time of birth, we want to hear your story. If medical negligence or medical malpractice was involved, we want to help. Contact the attorneys at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger in San Francisco for a free consultation. Call us now at (415) 981-7210 to schedule your appointment.