The birth of a child is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but unfortunately it may quickly turn into a nightmare if something goes wrong. If you believe that tachysystole played a part in your delivery process, it is important to speak to a knowledgeable Baltimore birth injury lawyer who can investigate the facts of your case. With years of experience handling complicated medical malpractice cases, Julia Arfaa understands the nuances of this area of the law and can vigorously protect your rights.
Holding a Health Care Provider Liable for Harm Caused by TachysystoleContractions are an expected part of labor and delivery. Typically, these contractions settle into a pattern. Tachysystole refers to an abnormally rapid rate of muscle contractions. Put another way, tachysystole is an abnormal series of strong cervical contractions (typically, six contractions in a 10-minute period) during labor that may affect the fetal heart rate and ultimately cause brain damage to a newborn. Specifically, it may lead to cerebral palsy. Fetal acidosis is yet another complication associated with tachysystole, which results in the baby’s blood becoming too acidic at birth and may also lead to irreversible brain damage.
Birth injuries often result from medical malpractice. In Maryland, medical malpractice occurs when a health care professional fails to act with the level of care that another health care professional in the same specialty would have used under the same or similar circumstances. In order to establish medical malpractice, a plaintiff must show that the medical professional’s failure to use the appropriate level of care was a direct and proximate cause of the harm that the child or mother suffered. The harm must have been something that would not have occurred if the medical professional had used the appropriate level of care.
In Maryland medical malpractice cases, an expert witness is typically used to establish the appropriate level of care as well as how that standard was breached. Under the Maryland Rules of Civil Procedure, the court will evaluate a potential expert based on whether the witness is qualified as an expert by their knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, Also, the court will consider the pertinence of the expert testimony on the particular subject and determine whether an adequate factual basis exists to support the expert’s testimony.
When a baby suffers a birth injury, the parents are often unable to afford the costly, life-long care that may be associated with brain damage in a child. This is one reason why Maryland law allows parents to seek damages for birth injuries. If you successfully establish a medical malpractice claim, you may be able to recover both economic and noneconomic damages. Typically, these damages include medical costs, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, therapy costs, and any other costs that may be associated with treating the birth injury.
Contact a Baltimore Lawyer for Your Birth Injury CaseIf you feel that your child’s injury could have been prevented with diligent medical care, you should speak to a skilled Baltimore birth injury attorney at Arfaa Law Group. We can thoroughly investigate the facts of your case and explain the legal options available to you. Medical malpractice lawyer Julia Arfaa represents victims and families throughout the state of Maryland. For more information, call 410-889-1850 or contact us online and arrange a free consultation.