Friday, February 9, 2007

What to Do if You Suspect Birth Injury

If you think that you are not being provided adequate or prompt care when you are in the hospital delivering your baby, speak up. You might be able to prevent a birth injury. If the birth has already happened, make sure to check on your baby frequently. If the child seems at all injured or not behaving in a normal manner, alert the nurses and doctors. Keep notes of what is going on and what the medical staff is doing to take care of your baby. Once you and your baby come home from the hospital, think about the care you were given. If you believe that the hospital or medical staff did not take care of your child correctly, or were incompetent in any way, think about contacting a birth injury attorney. They will be able to help you in pursuing those who took care of your baby in a legal fashion and let you know if you have a case against them.

Health Insurance's Role in Birth Injury

When a child is born, healthy or not, you must make sure to contact your health insurance provider immediately. This will open the baby's policy and make the child a dependent on your plan. It can also be helpful if you are going to pursue a case in court for birth injury, as all of the medical bills submitted will be recorded. The copays that you have to pay to the insurance company will probably be covered if there is a judgment in your favor in court, as the doctor's (or hospital's) malpractice insurance will have to cover your medical bills.

Going to a Meeting With a Birth Injury Lawyer

Before you get ready to meet your birth injury attorney, you may want to get together some information about your case. You should know what you feel was done incorrectly in your child's birth, as well as what the baby's injury is. The lawyer will then be able to help you get the proper information from your doctors, any other witnesses, and insurance companies. A lawyer will also be able to prepare you for the next steps in your case. Be sure to ask any questions you have of the lawyer at this first meeting.