Columbus Maternity Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Columbus Maternity Medical Malpractice Attorney

Childbirth should be a time of happiness. When medical malpractice takes the life of your baby or causes serious injury to your newborn, that joy is replaced with grief and despair. If you or your child were injured during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, it’s important to know your rights. A Columbus maternity medical malpractice lawyer can manage the medical and legal complexities of your case so you and your family can focus on recovery.

Understanding Maternity Medical Malpractice

Maternity medical malpractice happens when a medical professional’s care during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or after birth falls below the accepted standard of care, thereby causing an injury to a mother or her baby. The range of medical mistakes includes misdiagnosis of conditions, treatment delays, and improper handling of medical equipment.

Such medical mistakes represent both treatment failures and a breach of obligations to patients’ families. When they cause harm, you can file a claim to seek justice and financial recovery.

Maternity in Columbus

Key medical centers in Columbus, GA, that handle maternity and neonatal care include St. Francis Hospital, Columbus Regional Healthcare System, and Piedmont Columbus Regional. Although these hospitals and providers have the resources to manage complex births, no healthcare provider or hospital is infallible.

Some facilities are overcrowded or understaffed. Others have systems in place that simply fail. Any of these circumstances can result in errors when timing is critical in labor and delivery.

There were 33.9 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in Georgia. For medical malpractice, the average payment for the state was $681,353 for 2024. Additionally, there were 344 medical malpractice payments made in the state that same year.

If your family has suffered from a birth injury or another issue related to care at one of Columbus’ hospitals, it is important to know your rights under Columbus maternity medical malpractice laws. You should also seek the guidance of an experienced attorney.

Types of Injuries Caused by Maternity Medical Malpractice

Maternity medical malpractice can result in a wide variety of injuries for babies and mothers. These can have lifelong consequences.

Infants can suffer from a number of injuries, such as:

• Cerebral palsy caused by a lack of oxygen in the baby’s brain during labor
• Brachial plexus injury, which can damage a baby’s nerves and cause limited movement in the arm
• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which is a type of brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation
• Skull fractures
• Developmental delays due to trauma during the delivery process

There are also several ways mothers can be seriously harmed, including, but not limited to:

• Postpartum hemorrhage from delayed or inadequate treatment
• Infections from unhygienic conditions
• Failure to recognize and treat symptoms
• Surgical mistakes during a C-section
• Anesthesia-related complications.

In the most severe cases of maternity malpractice, a woman can be a victim of wrongful death. These injuries have life-changing effects physically, emotionally, and financially. Therefore, it is important to obtain legal counsel to hold the responsible parties accountable.

The Causes of Maternity Medical Malpractice

Reviewing common causes of maternity medical malpractice may help families identify when something went wrong during their care. One of the most frequently reported issues is the failure to monitor fetal heart rate and respond to fetal distress, which can cause oxygen deprivation and injury.

Problems are common due to miscommunication or a lack of coordination among doctors, nurses, and support staff. Understaffing or a lack of training can also negatively affect the quality of care provided in busy or overwhelmed hospitals. Rushed or neglected postpartum care can lead to undetected infections and other complications, causing preventable harm to mothers.

Columbus Maternity Medical Malpractice Laws

The legal framework in Georgia establishes a two-year time frame from the date of injury to file a medical malpractice claim, including maternity malpractice claims. A few exceptions apply to this rule, such as cases involving a minor child or harm that was not discoverable until later.

A claim related to birth injury on behalf of the child can be filed up until their seventh birthday. Since exceptions to the deadline do apply, and it is strictly enforced, contact a maternity medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.

What to Do If You Suspect Maternity Medical Malpractice

If you or your baby may have suffered harm due to negligent medical care before or during delivery, you must act immediately and decisively. The longer you wait, the more difficult it can be to find the necessary evidence, and a hospital will likely start preparing its defense the moment the incident is reported. To protect your rights and build a strong case, take the following actions:

• Write down as much as you can about your pregnancy visits, the delivery, and any odd symptoms you experienced. Also, describe any actions you witnessed hospital staff do or not do, especially anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
• Request all medical records pertaining to your care, as well as your baby’s, as soon as possible. The records will be the most important evidence in a malpractice case.
• Do not sign any documents released by the hospital or any offer from an insurance company to settle the case without consulting an attorney. These documents may prohibit you from filing a claim.
• Talk to a Georgia maternity medical malpractice attorney with experience in maternity medical malpractice cases.

Act as soon as possible. Georgia law only gives you a certain amount of time to file a claim, but it could be longer in some cases involving children. If you took any photos or videos during labor, preserve them – they may provide crucial evidence, though some hospitals restrict this practice.

About The Tolson Firm, LLC

At The Tolson Firm, LLC, we serve families throughout Georgia. We handle complicated medical malpractice and wrongful death claims. The Tolson Firm, LLC, is a proud Black attorney law firm seeking justice for families who have suffered from negligent maternity care. We offer compassionate, knowledgeable legal guidance so clients can understand their rights and get the compensation they deserve to recover from a birth injury.

Contact Us Today

If you suspect medical negligence during childbirth, don’t wait to hire a maternity medical malpractice lawyer. Contact The Tolson Firm, LLC, today to speak with a skilled Columbus maternity medical malpractice lawyer. We can assert your rights and secure the compensation your family deserves.