Putting Our Knowledge And Experience To Work
Placental Abruption Birth Injury Lawyers
Northern Kentucky and Ohio Lawyers for Placental Abruption Birth Injuries
When doctors fail to diagnose placental abruption, it can cause birth injuries with irreversible effects, potentially leading to a lifetime of complications and financial expenses. If your child has suffered from birth injuries as a result of negligence, you may be able to recover financial compensation for your damages. That is where the birth injury attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm come in.
The Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Dayton birth injury lawyers at TLF can help you fight for compensation following birth injuries resulting from a placental abruption. With over 50 years of experience litigating birth injury and medical malpractice cases in both Kentucky and Ohio, you can rest easy knowing your medical malpractice case is in good hands. Call our toll-free number at (800) 698-4054 to speak with a placental abruption attorney regarding your case today.
What is Placental Abruption?
Placental abruption is a birth injury in which the placenta, which supplies nutrients to the fetus, becomes disconnected from the uterine wall, preventing the child from receiving vital nutrients, including oxygen. When severe placental abruption occurs, both the mother and baby can suffer from serious birth injuries, some of which can be fatal. The mother can suffer from extreme blood loss, and the child can suffer from brain damage, premature birth, or stillbirth, among other things.
While some pregnancy complications are unpredictable, there are warning signs that can indicate there’s been a placental abruption. Additionally, there are risk factors that can increase the likelihood that someone will suffer from placental abruption. If placental abruption occurs due to a lack of monitoring or improper risk evaluation, the medical professionals treating the patient may be found negligent in a medical malpractice case.
Types of Placental Abruption
The placenta is a temporary organ that is connected to the walls of the uterus and provides the fetus with nutrients through the umbilical cord. The placenta develops around 7-10 days post conception and will normally release from the uterus wall 30 minutes after childbirth. Placental abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the uterine walls before birth, which causes the child to immediately stop receiving necessary nutrients like oxygen.
There are two different kinds of placental abruption: revealed and concealed. A revealed placental abruption will result in vaginal bleeding, making it easier to identify. A concealed placental abruption results in a blood clot, preventing any blood from passing through the cervix and vaginal opening.
Placental abruptions can also be categorized based on the severity of the separation. Marginal and partial placental abruption occur when the placenta becomes partially detached from the uterus. Complete placental abruption occurs when the placenta completely detaches from the uterus. Both partial and complete abruptions can cause serious birth injuries to the mother and the baby.
Common Risk Factors for Placental Abruption
There are certain risk factors that can increase a person’s risk of premature separation of the placenta. These risk factors include:
- Previous placental abruption;
- Multiple gestation pregnancy;
- Preeclampsia;
- Loss of amniotic fluid;
- Short umbilical cord; and
- Smoking or alcohol use during pregnancy.
Pregnant people with one or more of these risk factors should be heavily monitored so medical professionals can identify placental abruption early and conduct an emergency delivery.
Symptoms of Placental Abruption
Symptoms of placental abruption vary from mother to child. Pregnant women suffering from placental abruption may experience:
- Back pain;
- Abdominal pain;
- Vaginal bleeding;
- Uterine tenderness;
- Uterine contractions; and
- High blood pressure.
Unborn children suffering from placental abruption may experience:
- Fetal distress; and
- Decreased fetal movement.
The causes of placental abruption are largely unknown, but some possible causes include abdominal trauma or rapid loss of amniotic fluid. If anyone experiences these causes or experiences the above symptoms, they should seek immediate medical attention. Placental abruption can cause severe medical conditions, especially if the baby isn’t delivered immediately.
Injuries and Complications Caused by Placental Abruption
Placental abruption can cause severe complications that harm the mother and the child. Placental abruption may cause a pregnant woman to experience:
- Severe bleeding, which may require a blood transfusion;
- Kidney failure;
- Shock;
- Blood clotting issues; and
- Maternal death.
Placental abruptions can cause an unborn baby to experience:
- Premature birth
- Stunted growth
- Infant seizures
- Oxygen deprivation, which can cause them to suffer brain damage; and
- Fetal death.
Oxygen deprivation may lead to permanent brain damage and developmental delays and can cause conditions such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy. If your child suffers from a developmental disorder like cerebral palsy as a result of placental abruption, you may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, assistive equipment, and more.
Can I Sue for Placental Abruption?
Yes, you can sue a negligent medical provider for damages caused by placental abruption. One of the primary causes of birth injuries is negligence, and when a doctor is negligent, they may be found financially responsible for damages in a birth injury lawsuit. These damages can include medical bills for the mother and child, future medical care, loss of earning capacity, emotional damages, and even funeral expenses in the case of maternal or fetal death.
Examples of Medical Negligence Involving Placental Abruption
There are many different ways in which a doctor or other medical professional can act negligently in regard to a placental abruption.
If a mother has one or more risk factors that increase the likelihood of placental abruption, their doctors should closely monitor the mother and baby for warning signs. Risk factors like a previous placental abruption can increase their chance of suffering from placental abruption again. When risk factors like this are present, a medical professional’s failure to monitor the mother through the third trimester may be negligent.
Additionally, mothers displaying any symptoms of placental abruptions should also be closely monitored so that doctors can diagnose placental abruption early, even if the symptoms are mild. Mild symptoms like light vaginal bleeding or high blood pressure may indicate a partial placental abruption, but the mother may experience severe abruption symptoms later on. If a woman is experiencing heavy vaginal bleeding or loss of amniotic fluid, they may require an emergency C-section or an immediate delivery.
Even after providing an accurate diagnosis of placental abruption, if doctors fail to perform a C-section or fail to induce a vaginal delivery, medical professionals may be negligent for any birth injury caused by the detached placenta. Failure to treat placental abruption by delaying delivery can cause the child to suffer from a brain injury, which can lead to lifelong problems.
Why You Need a Northern Kentucky or Ohio Placental Abruption Lawyer From TLF
Placental abruption malpractice cases can be tricky. In order to receive compensation, lawyers must prove the birth injury was a direct result of negligence, which requires a good deal of evidence, including multiple medical experts.
If you or a loved one has suffered from pregnancy or birth complications as a result of placental abruption, call one of our experienced Ohio or Northern Kentucky birth injury lawyers at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm right away. Our professionals have decades of experience handling labor and delivery malpractice cases and can gather evidence, contact witnesses, and examine medical records to help prove negligence.
Let us help you receive the compensation you deserve: call us toll-free at (800) 698-4054.
Call TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm To Set Up a Free Consultation Today
Pregnancy complications like placental abruption can be extremely dangerous to the mother and baby and can cause emotional and physical trauma to all those involved. If you or a loved one has suffered from a birth injury caused by placental abruption, call TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm today. Our birth injury lawyers have the knowledge, skill, and experience it takes to handle cases involving placental abruption as well as other birth injuries, like brachial plexus injuries, forceps injuries, and hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries, to name a few.
All clients can receive a free initial consultation regarding their birth injury case. We serve clients in both Ohio and Kentucky, so be sure to call our office closest to you. You can reach our Ohio law office at (513) 651-4130, our Kentucky law office at (859) 578-9130, or toll-free at (800) 698-4054. You can also contact us online and we’ll reach out to you regarding your free consultation.
Practice Areas
You Pay No Fees Unless We Win!
We are happy to offer a free consultation to evaluate your case. If you hire us as your legal counsel, we will represent you on a contingency-fee basis. You will pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover financial damages.