Birth Injuries

Nurse attorney Laura Ozak has handled birth injury cases for more than 24 years. All too often, when a baby is injured due to the negligence of health care providers, parents are never told the truth about how the injury happened. You deserve the truth, and we do not rest until we flush it out. We have extensive knowledge and experience evaluating and pursuing birth injury cases. We know that to reach his or her full potential, your child will likely have very costly medical, educational, and psychological needs. Your child will require a “life care plan,” and we work with some of the best experts in the country who help us develop a plan for your child. We fight for you and your child to ensure that those responsible for your child’s injury are financially responsible for your child’s needs. We do not back down until fair compensation is assured.

Examples of birth injuries include:

• Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), sometimes referred to as Neonatal Encephalopathy (NE) – When your baby is deprived of oxygen during the labor and delivery process, or your baby is not resuscitated properly at birth, he or she can suffer damage to specific areas of his or her brain. In certain circumstances, therapeutic “cooling” should be offered to help decrease the brain damage. The effects of HIE or NE are often not seen until your child is school age, and he or she struggles with learning and developmental problems. This is particularly true for babies who are cooled after being diagnosed with HIE or NE.

• Cerebral Palsy (CP) – CP is caused by damage to areas of the brain that control movement. There are different types and degrees of CP. CP is sometimes associated with cognitive problems, but not always.

• Shoulder Dystocia with Brachial Plexus Injury – If your baby’s shoulder gets stuck in the birth canal, this is called “shoulder dystocia.” Many times, shoulder dystocia can be anticipated and prevented if the doctor does the right tests before labor starts. However, if shoulder dystocia occurs during labor, the doctor must employ proper maneuvers to safely release the shoulder. If the doctor does not use proper maneuvers when trying to release the shoulder, or pulls too hard on your baby’s neck, your baby can suffer permanent damage to his or her “brachial plexus.” Injury to your baby’s brachial plexus can be temporary or permanent. If permanent, his or her arm will be affected. Surgery can sometimes repair some of the damage.