Forceps Delivery Injury Lawyer
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
- Last Modified:
- March 14, 2024
The use of forceps during childbirth is a difficult experience for both the mother and baby. When a doctor makes mistakes during a forceps delivery, newborns may suffer serious injuries that have traumatic and long-term effects. If your child was injured by a doctor who used forceps during your delivery, you may qualify to take legal action and claim compensation.
At Brown & Crouppen, we help birth injury victims seek justice and hold doctors accountable for their medical negligence. By working with an experienced forceps delivery injury lawyer from our team, you’ll have a passionate legal advocate on your side to level the playing field against healthcare providers and their insurance companies. Call 800-536-4357 or schedule your free consultation online.
- What Are Forceps and Why Are They Used in Childbirth?
- How To Know if Your Doctor Made Mistakes During a Forceps Delivery
- Common Injuries in Forceps Deliveries
- Available Damages for Forceps Delivery Injuries in St. Louis and Kansas City
- When Should I Take Legal Action for a Forceps Delivery Injury?
- Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Forceps Delivery Injury Lawyers in Missouri
What Are Forceps and Why Are They Used in Childbirth?
Obstetrical forceps are a type of assistive medical tool used during vaginal delivery when labor is not progressing. They are designed to grasp the infant’s head and guide the baby through the birth canal. Additionally, forceps are used to rotate the baby inside the birth canal into a position that facilitates delivery.
Forceps deliveries have fallen out of favor and account for about 1.1 percent of all vaginal births. Situations that may call for a forceps-assisted delivery include:
- The baby shows signs of fetal distress
- No progress after three to four hours of second-stage labor with regional anesthesia
- No progress despite adequate pushing and contractions
- Maternal health conditions that lead to complications
- The mother is at a point of extreme exhaustion
Forceps are meant to assist during difficult births by reducing the time it takes to deliver the baby. Unfortunately, forceps can also lead to birth injuries when doctors use them improperly and do not adhere to professional medical standards.
When this happens, consult our forceps delivery injury attorneys at Brown & Crouppen. We are a full-service personal injury law firm, and our seasoned legal team is standing by to make sure you know your full legal rights and options.
How To Know if Your Doctor Made Mistakes During a Forceps Delivery
There are many risks involved with the use of forceps during childbirth. Accordingly, there are very specific steps and procedures that doctors must follow in a forceps birth to ensure safety and handle complications that may arise. There are also important medical criteria that patients must meet before a doctor can move forward with a forceps delivery.
It can be difficult to know if your child’s forceps injuries were caused by medical malpractice. That is why you need an experienced birth injury lawyer in Missouri to handle your case. Our forceps delivery medical malpractice attorneys have the skills and resources needed to analyze the available evidence, prove medical negligence, and seek financial compensation for you and your baby. Important questions we will answer include:
- Did the doctor use the forceps correctly?
- Is the doctor properly trained to use forceps?
- Did the doctor need to use forceps earlier than they did?
- Was a forceps delivery the appropriate choice for the situation?
- Did the doctor use forceps before the patient met all the necessary criteria?
- Was the patient informed of the risks before giving consent?
If you suspect your doctor or other medical professionals made errors that led to forceps delivery injuries, our forceps delivery injury attorneys can help. We have offices located in St. Louis, Kansas City, and throughout Missouri.
Get started with a free consultation with one of our skilled Personal Injury Lawyers today.
Common Injuries in Forceps Deliveries
When doctors fail to use obstetric forceps correctly during childbirth, both mothers and babies are at risk for injuries.
| Common Maternal Forceps Injuries | Common Fetal Forceps Injuries |
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Available Damages for Forceps Delivery Injuries in St. Louis and Kansas City
If your doctor was medically negligent during your forceps delivery and you or your baby were injured as a result, you may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover the financial impact of the forceps injuries. Non-economic damages cover their intangible impact. Together, these compensatory damages cover things like:
- Medical bills
- Future medical care expenses
- Cost of medication
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Of course, no amount of money can make up for a lost life. However, if the forceps injuries in your case were fatal, you can also seek compensation in a wrongful death claim. Our forceps delivery injury lawyers can help you through this tragic situation by providing top-tier legal representation and compassionate support for you and your family.
Our firm has recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients. We will thoroughly evaluate your case and calculate the full and fair compensation you are entitled to by law.
When Should I Take Legal Action for a Forceps Delivery Injury?
As soon as possible. If you suspect you have a forceps delivery medical malpractice case, taking swift action is vital. Remember, speaking with defendants and their insurers without full knowledge of your rights and legal options could undermine your right to compensation. Seeking legal assistance early on helps preserve evidence and will give your medical malpractice attorney plenty of time to build a strong case.
Further, delaying legal action could result in you missing the filing deadline governing your case. The medical malpractice statute of limitations in Missouri gives you two years from the date the malpractice occurred or could have reasonably been discovered to file your claim. Though there are potential exceptions to this strictly enforced rule, you should not rely on them before consulting with an experienced birth injury lawyer to make sure they apply to your case.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Forceps Delivery Injury Lawyers in Missouri
At Brown & Crouppen, we understand how difficult birth injury lawsuit can be for parents and families. To ease the burden, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality legal counsel and representation possible. We have been defending the rights of injury victims throughout Missouri for over 40 years. In that time, we have received numerous awards and accolades for the high quality of our services.
As members of a service-oriented profession, we also believe in actively giving back to the community. To that end, our firm regularly works with numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy, Habitat for Humanity, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Food Outreach.
Call 800-536-4357 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation with our experienced forceps delivery injury attorneys. Our personal injury law firm serves clients in St. Louis, Kansas City, and throughout Missouri. Because we work on a contingency basis, you pay nothing unless we secure compensation on your behalf.
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- Last Modified:
- March 14, 2024
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