Birth injuries are shockingly common in the US, affecting tens of thousands of families every year. If your child has been injured, you can contact a medical malpractice lawyer in Baltimore, MD to find out how much compensation you could receive. Your birth injury lawyer will help you to determine what economic and non-economic damages there are, and they will find evidence of malpractice for you.
Ask a Birth Injury Lawyer: How Much Is a Settlement Worth?
Because birth injuries can affect a child for the rest of their life, settlements are often worth $1 million or more. This money is meant to cover the medical bills, care, adaptive devices, and educational needs of the child.
However, it’s important to note that not everyone with a birth injury can claim compensation. If the doctor or hospital wasn’t at fault, it’s unlikely that your lawsuit will be successful. It’s also much more difficult to get a good settlement offer without the help of a highly experienced lawyer. For this reason, reaching out to a personal injury attorney should be the first step.
The Injury in Question
Small birth injuries are common, but they don’t always affect the life of the child and their family significantly. If your child had a minor, temporary injury, it’s unlikely that you’ll receive more than a few thousand dollars, since the problem won’t be long-lasting. A major temporary injury or a minor permanent injury might result in a settlement of $50,000 or more, especially if your child needs additional treatment.
You’ll receive a significant amount of compensation if your child has a major permanent injury. Around 25% of birth injuries cause brain damage, paralysis, or another condition that means the child will require lifelong care. In such a case, you might receive hundreds of thousands or even millions in compensation, and the medical practitioner in question could lose their license.
The Long-Term Damage
Only birth injuries that result in long-term damage can get the highest level of compensation. If your child needs care for many years, you might be owed millions in damages. This money is meant to cover your medical bills, the wages of caregivers, adjustments you might have to make to your home and lifestyle, and medication your child needs to take. Additionally, non-economic damages might be included.
For example, your family might no longer have the same quality of life because you can’t participate in many activities. What’s more, you might be traumatized by what happened. These non-economic factors are harder to calculate, so they are often controversial. However, a good malpractice lawyer will help you to prove that you deserve compensation for your emotional pain. Sometimes, non-economic damages can double or triple a settlement offer.
The Amount of Evidence You Have
Around seven in 1,000 babies suffer from a birth injury. Since over 3 million babies are born every year in the US, this means that tens of thousands of infants are injured annually. Some common problems include a fractured collarbone, a brain injury, and Erb’s Palsy, which limits the child’s use of their arm, hand, and shoulder.
But not all of these injuries result in compensation because it is not always the doctor’s fault. Sometimes, genetic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors can contribute to the issue. If you don’t have a lot of evidence that the medical professional was negligent and caused your baby’s injuries, it’s unlikely that you will get a high level of compensation, since the doctor will argue that the situation was out of their control.
Your Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Baltimore, MD
Some people file their lawsuits on their own because they believe that this will be cheaper than hiring an attorney. But this isn’t usually the case: winning a malpractice lawsuit is extremely difficult. You have to prove that there was a duty of care, that this duty was neglected, that your baby got injured as a result, and that there are long-term consequences for your family.
To get the right amount of compensation, you’ll need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in malpractice. Research law firms online and read through the biographies of lawyers in your area. It’s important to choose someone who has been working in your state for a long time since they will know all the local laws. If you’re ready to start working with a lawyer, check out this site.
Birth injuries are a common form of medical malpractice. If your family has been affected, the first step is to contact a birth injury lawyer in Baltimore, MD. They can determine how much your case is worth, taking into consideration both the economic and non-economic factors. Then, your attorney will help you find the necessary evidence to win your case.