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VBAC Birth Injury Lawyers
Northern Kentucky and Ohio Medical Malpractice Lawyers for VBAC Injuries
Mothers who get pregnant after having a cesarean section (C-section) may decide to have a vaginal birth instead of another C-section, and for good reason. Like any surgery or medical procedure, there are risks associated with multiple C-sections. Unfortunately, there are also risks for vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC for short. For example, complications from VBACs can cause an unborn child to suffer from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which can lead to developmental issues like cerebral palsy.
If you or a loved one has experienced birth injuries as a result of a VBAC, you may be able to file a birth injury lawsuit and receive monetary compensation for damages associated with your injuries. Victims of VBAC birth injuries should contact a local legal team with years of experience in medical malpractice lawsuits, like the team at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm. At TLF, we fight hard for those who are injured due to another’s negligence, and we want to fight for you, too.
For a free consultation with our Ohio and Northern Kentucky medical malpractice attorneys, give us a call at 800-698-4054 today.
What is a VBAC?
VBAC stands for “Vaginal Birth After Cesarean” and occurs when a mother who has previously had a Cesarean delivery (C-section) decides to deliver their next child vaginally. C-sections often have certain risks associated with them, including an increased risk for infection and a longer recovery time than vaginal births. That’s why some mothers choose to have a VBAC. Unfortunately, VBAC also has certain risks associated with it, including an increased risk of uterine rupture and other birth injuries.
In order to decrease the risk of injury to both the child and the mother, doctors should consider all of the risks before recommending VBAC. When doctors fail to properly assess the risks, they put their patient’s life in danger. If you or someone you love has suffered from a birth injury as a result of VBAC, you may be able to file a medical malpractice suit against the negligent healthcare professionals involved.
Criteria for VBAC
There are certain criteria a mother should meet before doctors consider a VBAC. One of the things doctors look for in mothers wanting a VBAC is the kind of incision they had during their C-section. A mother can safely have a VBAC after giving birth via C-section if the doctor who performed their C-section made either a low transverse incision or a low vertical incision. These kinds of incisions are less likely to cause uterine rupture than traditional T or J-shaped incisions.
Another criterion considered before recommending a VBAC is whether or not the mother has had a vaginal delivery in the past. This can make subsequent vaginal deliveries much easier and help avoid birth injuries.
Doctors must also consider the health of the baby and the mother. Because of the risks associated with them, VBACs are often only performed during low-risk pregnancies. If the mother and the unborn baby are both healthy, there is a higher chance the VBAC will be successful.
Are VBACs Safe?
VBACs can be safe in certain situations. If a mother meets the criteria for a successful VBAC, then a VBAC may be the safest option for them. If they do not meet the criteria, their doctor should recommend a C-section to avoid VBAC birth injuries.
Different medical professionals assess risk in different ways, and some doctors may recommend a VBAC to one patient when others may not. If a doctor recommends VBAC to a mother already at risk for birth injuries, serious injury may result and the doctor may be found negligent.
Risks of Multiple C-Sections
Like any delivery process, VBACs and C-sections have their risks as well as their benefits. Mothers tend to opt for VBACs if they plan to have more children. Multiple cesarean sections can cause placental issues in future pregnancies, which can cause excessive bleeding or cause a child to be born prematurely. Additionally, mothers who have previously had a C-section are more likely to experience uterine rupture, and with every C-section they have, their risk for uterine rupture increases.
C-sections are surgical procedures which have associated risks. There’s a higher chance of surgical errors as well as a higher chance of infection. Postoperative infections can damage the patient’s organs, skin, soft tissue, or blood, and some infections, like sepsis, can be extremely life-threatening. Also, C-sections have longer recovery times than vaginal births.
Risks of VBAC
While VBACs can help mothers avoid a C-section, they also have their own risks to consider. Even when the baby and mother are both healthy, VBAC can be unsuccessful and require a cesarean section anyway. And while it may be rare, a mother is more likely to experience uterine rupture during birth if they have previously had a C-section. Uterine rupture can be life-threatening and can cause serious birth injuries to both the mother and the child.
Doctors and other prenatal care providers can help patients understand the risks of both VBACs and C-sections and can help them decide which one is right for them. In the event of a VBAC, doctors will closely monitor the mother and child during labor for signs of uterine rupture or other birth complications. This will help them ensure the mother and child are safe and can help doctors detect issues as soon as they occur. It will also allow them to take necessary precautions and perform a C-section if needed.
Potential VBAC Birth Injuries
Complications that occur during VBACs can cause a wide variety of birth injuries that can threaten the life of both the mother and the child. The most common birth injuries from VBAC occur as a result of a uterine rupture, which is one of the most dangerous birth complications. Uterine rupture occurs when the wall of the uterus tears, sometimes creating a hole in the uterus and abdomen.
Like other forms of birth trauma, uterine rupture can cause a wide variety of injuries to the mother and the fetus. For mothers, it can cause severe hemorrhaging and blood loss, which can be fatal if left untreated. Uterine rupture can also cause the fetus to experience oxygen deprivation, and the brain damage that may result from this lack of blood flow to the brain can cause birth injuries like cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Uterine rupture can be detected multiple ways, but requires close monitoring on behalf of medical staff. Symptoms include fetal distress, low maternal blood pressure, sudden abdominal pain, and nonstop contractions. If medical professionals believe the mother’s uterus is ruptured, they may make an incision on the patient’s abdomen to look at their uterus. If they see that the uterus has torn or ruptured, they may decide to perform an emergency C-section to save the life of the mother and the child.
Other birth injuries that are associated with vaginal birth can occur during both successful and unsuccessful VBAC. In cases of successful vaginal birth, doctors may use tools to help guide the child through the birth canal (i.e., vaccuum extractors and forceps). Misuse of these tools, however, can cause head trauma like bruising, swelling, and even traumatic brain injury (TBI). In cases of birth trauma like uterine rupture, doctors may aggressively move the fetus in order to speed up the delivery, which can cause the child to suffer from spinal cord injuries.
If you or a loved one experienced a serious birth injury during a VBAC, call TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm today. Our experienced Ohio and Kentucky birth injury lawyers have helped residents in Cincinnati, Dayton, Covington, and the surrounding areas recover financial damages from negligent healthcare providers.
Can I File a Lawsuit for VBAC Injuries?
Yes, if you or your loved one experienced birth injuries as a result of VBAC, you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Medical malpractice cases occur when doctors or other medical professionals make medical errors that cause injury or death, including birth injury and fetal, neonatal, or maternal death.
Birth injury claims can be extremely difficult to navigate alone. If your child’s birth injury resulted from negligent medical care, call an experienced birth injury lawyer at TLF today. We can help prove negligence so you can make a successful medical malpractice claim and receive the compensation you deserve. Call us toll free at 800-698-4054 or contact us online and receive a free consultation regarding your case.
Potential Damages in a Birth Injury Claim
Birth injury lawsuits can help patients or their families receive compensation for the damages caused by doctors and nurses assisting in VBAC. These damages can include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in the case of wrongful death, funeral expenses and emotional distress. Additionally, parents of children who suffered from permanent brain damage during VBAC may be able to receive compensation for future medical costs and assistive care. This also includes mobility aids and other medical devices for an injured child whose brain injuries caused cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Examples of Medical Negligence in VBAC Cases
There are many ways a medical professional could be negligent when a VBAC birth injury occurs. Healthcare providers may be found negligent if they:
- Fail to properly monitor the mother or fetus, leaving complications like uterine rupture untreated;
- Fail to inform the mother of the risks of VBAC before recommending it; and
- Fail to assess the risk factors of the mother before recommending VBAC.
If you or an immediate family member received negligent medical care and a birth injury occurred as a result, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim. At TLF, our birth injury attorneys have experience taking on labor and delivery malpractice cases, so you can rest easy knowing your VBAC birth injury case is in good hands.
How the Ohio and Northern Kentucky Birth Injury Attorneys at TLF Can Help
Birth trauma can cause serious injuries and, in some cases, even death. Things like uterine rupture or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy can completely change the life of the child and their family. That’s why it’s so important for victims of medical negligence to find an experienced birth injury law firm to help them recover compensation.
Just like in personal injury cases, a successful birth injury case requires concrete and compelling evidence. Birth injury lawyers will gather this evidence to help prove a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional acted negligently. They may interview witnesses, obtain medical records from the hospital and invoices from the victim’s insurance company, and gather proof of injuries. They may also document any long-lasting injuries the child suffers from, like developmental disabilities.
At TLF, we aim to help victims of medical malpractice receive the maximum compensation possible. With experience in handling a wide variety of different birth injury cases, our lawyers have an in-depth understanding of physician malpractice and how to prove negligence in court.
Call TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm For Professional Legal Help With Your VBAC Birth Injury Lawsuit
If you experienced an injury as a result of VBAC medical malpractice, the birth injury attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm are prepared to help you recover compensation. With over 50 years of experience in medical malpractice and birth injury litigation, we’ll be able to provide you with experienced legal counsel to help you through your medical malpractice case.
Call our law firm at 859-578-9130 (Northern Kentucky residents) or 513-651-4130 (Ohio residents) today to receive a free consultation regarding your case.
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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.