Special Service Costs for Injured Children

Parents who learn that their children sustained birth injuries often come to the devastating realization that their children’s harm is permanent. Navigating the challenges of caring for a child with birth injuries is not only emotionally overwhelming, but it can be financially overwhelming as well, as many children with birth injuries require special services. Many birth injuries are the direct result of medical negligence, and people who suffer losses due to such carelessness can often recover damages from the parties responsible for their harm. If your child was injured due to the carelessness of a doctor, you should speak to a lawyer who understands the heartbreak and unique struggles that families face when dealing with the repercussions of birth injuries. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore birth injury attorneys are committed to assisting families in Maryland who are concerned about the special service costs associated with injured children, and if you engage our services, we will help you fight to protect your child’s interests.

Parents often underestimate the financial impact of caring for a child with significant birth injuries. Medical costs alone can be substantial, and additional expenses related to special services can further strain a family's resources.

Damages awarded in birth injury lawsuits can help mitigate special service costs for injured children. Special service costs, generally, refer to the additional expenses incurred for the care, support, and services required by a child who has sustained injuries during the birth process. These costs go beyond standard medical expenses and encompass a wide range of services and accommodations tailored to meet the specific needs of a child with birth injuries. Depending on the severity of the injuries, this can include medical devices, adaptive equipment, educational materials, home modifications, and other essential support.

Typically, parents will need to retain economists, life-care planners, and medical experts to assess the necessary services for the injured child. In many cases, it is beneficial to present a life care plan to the judge or jury to provide a comprehensive illustration of the services the child will require and their anticipated costs.

In order to recover compensation for special service costs for injured children, parents must first establish liability, which is typically accomplished via a negligence claim in a birth injury lawsuit.

In Maryland, to prove the negligence of a healthcare provider caused a child’s birth injury, a plaintiff must show that the defendant had a duty to adhere to the applicable standard of care, which is the care that a competent professional working in the same specialty as the defendant, would offer in a similar situation. The plaintiff then needs to prove that the defendant breached the standard of care. For example, if a child was deprived of oxygen during prolonged labor due to a doctor’s failure to perform a c-section, the doctor’s behavior may be considered a breach of the standard of care.

Next, the plaintiff has to establish that the defendant’s breach proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer measurable harm. In other words, the birth injury and the losses arising out of that injury would not have occurred but for the defendant’s acts or omissions.

Generally, testimony from a medical expert is needed to explain the standard of care to the judge or jury and to demonstrate causation. A plaintiff that adequately demonstrates the defendant’s liability may be granted a variety of damages, including special service costs, medical costs, out-of-pocket losses, lost wages, and compensation for emotional and mental trauma, suffering, and pain.

If your child suffered injuries at birth due to the negligence of a healthcare provider, you should speak to an attorney to explore your legal options. The experienced Baltimore birth injury lawyers of Arfaa Law Group are dedicated to providing personalized and compassionate representation for families in Maryland facing the challenges of caring for children with birth injuries, and if we represent you, we can help you seek compensation for your losses, including special service costs. Our office is located in Baltimore, and we routinely represent people in birth injury cases throughout the city. You can contact us through our form online or at 410-889-1850 to arrange a conference.