Louisville Vacuum Extractor Injury Attorney

A baby’s head is very susceptible to injuries during delivery. Any amount of excess pressure can result in damage to the skull or a brain injury. A doctor must use the utmost care when choosing to use medical devices to assist in the birthing process. He or she must question — is it safe? Which is the right choice — forceps or a vacuum extractor?

If your doctor made a poor decision or misused a vacuum extractor, he or she may have inflicted serious head trauma on your baby. Intracranial bleeding, a brain hemorrhage, or nerve damage can impact your baby’s health for the rest of his or her life. Consulting a Louisville birth injury lawyer may be your best option for achieving the compensation you need and deserve following this tragedy.

Since 1986, the attorneys at Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC, have worked with families facing birth injury complications. Our team of Louisville birth injury attorneys understand the devastation you are feeling. To arrange a free consultation to discuss your potential lawsuit, contact us online or by calling (502) 244-7772 .

What is Vacuum Extraction Delivery?

Vacuum extraction is a delivery procedure that involves the use of an extractor device attached to the baby’s head to guide the baby out of the birth canal. The procedure is usually necessary when labor is not progressing or if the baby’s health depends on immediate delivery. Vacuum extraction is usually done in a hospital or facility where a cesarean section can be performed if the vacuum extraction fails.

The following conditions must be present for vacuum extraction:

• The cervix is fully dilated
• The amniotic fluid has ruptured
• The baby’s head has descended headfirst into the birth canal

When all these conditions are present and the mother is unable to push the baby out, either because she does not have the energy to push or the baby is showing signs of distress and must be delivered immediately, a vacuum assisted delivery may be necessary.

Types of Injuries Caused by Vacuum Extraction Delivery Error

In a normal delivery, babies pass through the birth canal without outside assistance. In a difficult delivery, it may be necessary to help the baby down the canal by using forceps or a vacuum extractor.

A vacuum extractor attaches to a baby’s head using suction. It pulls the baby down the birth canal. It can be a very useful tool, provided it is used appropriately, properly, and with due care. Our Louisville medical malpractice attorneys know the importance of caution when deciding to use vacuum extraction because it puts infants at a higher risk for birth injuries including:

• Bruises, fractures, or scalp abrasions
• Blood spots on the skull
• Jaundice
• Bleeding in the eyes
• Internal bleeding or swelling of the brain
• Erb’s palsy or shoulder dystocia
• Cerebral palsy

If these injuries are not diagnosed quickly or are misdiagnosed, your baby could be at risk for on-going medical problems or even wrongful death.

Labor and Delivery Medical Negligence

Just like any other negligence case, labor and delivery medical negligence cases are based on one party’s duty of care to another, and the breach of that duty, which results in injury. In labor and delivery, depending on where the birth takes place, there are different parties who owe the mother and child a duty of care. The attending doctor, the assisting nurses, and other medical assistants. If the child is delivered by cesarean section, there will also be an anesthesiologist. The facility itself also owes a duty of care to both the mother and baby, to ensure that their staff are well trained and follow standard procedure, their facilities are equipped with standard equipment, and the facility’s operating procedure follows acceptable standards.

When a vacuum extraction procedure results in injury for the baby and mother, the circumstances will determine which of the parties failed in their duty to the mother and the baby, and if their failure was the legal cause of the injuries sustained.

How Can a Louisville Vacuum Extraction Injury Attorney Help?

Due to the complexity of medical procedures, labor and delivery medical negligence cases generally require expert opinion testimony. You are unlikely to succeed in a vacuum extraction injuries case without expert testimony to establish that the conduct of the medical professionals in your case departed from the expected standard of care, and was the legal cause of the injuries you suffered. 

An experienced vacuum extraction injuries attorney has the resources to retain medical experts who can provide testimony to prove your case. At Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC, we have the resources to take on the most challenging cases. We do everything to secure the compensation our clients are entitled to, to improvise their conditions now and into the future. Our Louisville personal injury lawyers have secured some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Kentucky for our clients. We can help you secure a fair settlement that will make all the difference in rebuilding a life harmed by vacuum extraction injuries.

Get Your Questions Answered From Our Louisville Injury Attorneys

A birth injury raises a lot of questions: What really happened? Who is at fault? What does the future hold for your child? Our firm wants to help you find the answers.

We carefully review medical records, interview delivery room witnesses and work with a team of experts to determine what caused your baby’s injury and who is responsible. We strive to hold negligent healthcare professionals responsible for their actions after a negligent vacuum extraction error. By pursing compensation on your behalf, we work to help you provide for your child’s future medical needs.

Contact Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC to discuss how we may be of assistance.