Birth Injury Attorney Scope of Work

A birth injury attorney is a legal practitioner who specializes in representing parents who may have undergone childbirth in which the child is injured when he or she was brought in this world. This can happen sometime before the actual delivery of the infant, during the delivery and sometime after childbirth. Some injuries are not immediately apparent and may several weeks or possibly months before parents or caretakers suspect that something may be wrong. Negligent doctors often do not bring up the possibility of injuring the infant around the time of childbirth because they could be held liable for a lot of injuries that may develop in the offspring in the near future. There are many signs that the infant may have incurred the injuries in the hands of the doctor or the medical staff. Cerebral palsy is just one of the ailments that usually occur when there has been an anomalous birth in the hands of the doctor or medical staff. If the infant has appeared normal inside the womb a few weeks before childbirth, then chances are it should be normal afterwards. Mobility is another thing to look out for after childbirth. Any limpness in the limbs of the infant should be brought to the attention of the doctor. Bruises and marks on the face or the head, especially abnormally shaped heads, may be a result of the wrong use of forceps.

Responsibilities of the Lawyer
The birth injury attorney should be able to assess the nature of the case with the help of the child’s medical history. It is important that the parent, guardian or caregiver have the necessary documents and paperwork connected to the childbirth on hand for the legal professional to peruse and study. The practitioner who specializes in cases like these is trained to look for discrepancies and possible connections that may have caused the injuries to the infant before, during or after childbirth. While other doctors are hesitant to testify or give evidence regarding malpractice suits against their own, there are some who are willing to refute or point out the wrong that has been done. One role of the birth injury attorney is to seek those who can actually present evidence that something was done wrong in the operating room which lead to the current state of the infant or child. If the legal practitioner accepts the case, he or she will be the one to file the necessary documents and paperwork in the court of law in connection with the case. The lawyer will also represent the client when there are court appearances before a judge. It is his or her duty to be loyal to his client for the duration that the case is ongoing and he or she should also actively investigate the circumstances of the incident.

It is important to be honest to the birth injury attorney regarding the circumstances surrounding the delivery and care of the infant. This will help to establish facts regarding the case and help to make the picture clear.