During childbirth, there are many issues that could impact your child. In most cases, doctors take special care to avoid injury and deliver the baby safely. However, in cases where the doctor fails to use the proper care and skill required of them, your baby could suffer birth injuries and other complications that may leave temporary or permanent injuries.
Facial paralysis injuries are common in cases where obstetricians commit errors delivering your baby. If your child suffered facial paralysis injuries because of a doctor’s errors or mistakes, you may be entitled to file a medical malpractice lawsuit to seek compensation for their birth injuries. To learn more about your potential case and get the legal help you need, contact The Queenan Law Firm to schedule a free legal consultation with our Houston, TX attorneys for facial paralysis injuries from childbirth. Our phone number is (817) 476-1797.
Common Causes of Birth Injuries Causing Facial Paralysis Injuries
A newborn must be handled with extremely delicate care and tenderness. Doctors who deliver babies should be acutely aware of the risks of failing to use this kind of care, but still, many babies around the country face long-term or permanent injuries every day because they were mishandled and injured during birth.
Babies have nerves running under their skin that have little to no protection from subcutaneous fat or developed skin. This means that any undue pressure on the facial or cranial nerve could cause paralysis in the face and neck. Often called Bell’s palsy, this condition may resolve on its own without treatment, or it could last for a prolonged period or become a permanent injury.
In some cases, the cause of Bell’s palsy or other paralysis of the facial nerve is not known. However, in some cases, it can be linked back to a doctor mishandling a newborn during the delivery process. Often, injuries caused by unnecessary or improper use of forceps can lead to facial paralysis.
Suing Negligent Physicians for Facial Paralysis and Bell’s Palsy from Birth
If your doctor failed to keep your baby safe and contributed to their facial paralysis injuries or other injuries, you may be entitled to take them to court for their errors. The law in Texas holds doctors to a strict “standard of care” based on the care a reasonable physician would provide in the same situation. Other doctors in the community and medical experts can help define exactly what this standard is in your case and whether your doctor’s care fell below that standard. If it did, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your child’s injuries.
Facial paralysis can be caused by accident or because of unavoidable birth complications. However, if your doctor was responsible for causing those injuries, they should be made to pay for your child’s injuries. This often happens in cases where they chose to use forceps when they were not medically advisable or if their skill or care in handling the forceps was below the level it should have been.
Damages in Birth Injury and Facial Paralysis Lawsuits
Suing for facial paralysis can get you, your child, and your family financial compensation for the harms you faced from your doctor’s negligence. Treating facial paralysis might require additional medical care and therapy to treat Bell’s palsy or facial nerve injuries. In some cases, this may even lead to long-term or permanent injuries, which can mean substantial pain and suffering for your child. Many of these damages can be claimed in a lawsuit, though the process of proving them may be complex.
Any past damages for financial injuries, such as additional medical expenses, can be proved in court by producing medical bills. These bills can show the full value of any treatment you had to pay to treat your child’s facial paralysis, which should be paid in full. However, additional future medical bills, lost wages, and other damages can also be claimed.
If your child will face future medical expenses, lost wages, or ongoing pain and suffering because of their facial paralysis, you can claim these costs in court, too. This may require working with your attorney to provide testimony from medical experts and financial experts projecting the cost of these damages into the future. Because facial paralysis is a very physically noticeable injury, the damages may be substantial for pain and suffering damages because of the mental anguish and emotional distress of the injury.
Talk to a lawyer about what these damages might be worth in your case. In many cases, your doctor’s medical malpractice insurance company will pay damages and provide your doctor with a lawyer to defend against your case. If a settlement offer is made, it may be too low to cover your needs, and you should consult your own attorney to advise you as to whether or not to take the settlement. If the settlement is too low, you may need to fight your case in court to get the damages you need for your medical malpractice claim.
Call Our Houston Newborn Facial Paralysis and Bell’s Palsy Malpractice Lawyers
If your child suffered from facial paralysis because of your doctor’s negligent care, contact our Houston attorneys for facial paralysis from childbirth injuries today. The Queenan Law Firm’s birth injury attorneys may be able to help you file a lawsuit against your physician for injuries your child suffered at birth, potentially getting you financial compensation to cover their ongoing medical care, pain and suffering, and other damages related to your child’s injuries. For a free legal consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.