Philadelphia Spinal Cord Birth Injury Lawyer
If your baby’s spinal cord was damaged during delivery, the doctor should be held accountable for their negligence. Tragically, many spinal cord injuries cause a lifetime of pain, immobility, and paralysis. The financial toll this takes on a family is extreme, as raising a child with a spinal cord injury costs millions of dollars. The emotional toll, pain and suffering, and loss of joy of life that a spinal cord injury causes is immeasurable. For these reasons, we urge you to go with a trusted, experienced Philadelphia spinal cord birth injury lawyer for this type of tragic accident. The Villari Firm, PLLC is here to provide help.
What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
The spinal column runs from the base of our necks to the tip of our tailbone, and is made up of vertebrae (bones), connective tissue (ligaments), and the spinal cord (a bundle of nerves). Damage to the spinal cord can result in temporary or permanent paralysis, weakness, numbness, pain, and tingling, depending on the severity of the injury. An incomplete injury is characterized by partial damage of the spinal cord. Incomplete spinal cord injuries can heal with time, and some babies regain full strength and mobility. Complete spinal cord injuries involve total laceration of the spinal cord. There is no treatment or surgery that can repair a complete spinal cord injury, and the baby’s affected body parts will be totally paralyzed for life.
The Location of the Spinal Cord Injury Matters
The spine is made up of four segments: the cervical (neck), thoracic (upper to mid back), lumbar (low back), and sacral (tailbone). The higher up the spinal cord injury, the more impact it has on the baby’s other body parts. A spinal cord injury to the lumbar spine would affect the lower limbs, while a spinal cord injury to the cervical spine would essentially impact the baby’s entire body, making him or her a quadriplegic or tetraplegic. Unfortunately, most delivery mistakes that lead to a spinal cord injury occur at the neck, meaning a greater impact on the rest of the baby’s body.
Contact a Philadelphia Spinal Cord Birth Injury Lawyer Today
Spinal cord injuries happen in childbirths that involve a very large baby, cephalopelvic disproportion, breech births, and other prolonged or difficult births. The use of forceps, vacuum, and excessive pressure on the baby’s spine can cause a spinal cord injury, which may even go undetected at first because a baby’s spinal cord can be damaged even if the vertebrae is not. While certain characteristics of the baby, the mother, and the baby’s position during birth can make a doctor’s job harder when it comes to safe delivery, that does not absolve them of negligence. If the standard of care was breached, the doctor and hospital should be held accountable. While no amount of money can turn back time, we urge you to protect and invest in your future, and to seek justice for your baby by working with a Philadelphia spinal cord birth injury lawyer to file a medical malpractice claim. Call The Villari Firm today at 215-372-8889 to schedule a free consultation.
