Louisville Failure to Diagnose Preeclampsia Attorney

Preeclampsia is a serious and potentially fatal medical condition that occurs in pregnant women, characterized by high blood pressure and typically occurring after the 20th week of pregnancy. Postpartum (after childbirth) preeclampsia is also possible, although this is very rare. With preeclampsia, an early diagnosis is essential, as it can cause complications that threaten mother and baby alike. In minor cases, bed rest and close monitoring of mother and baby may be sufficient to manage high blood pressure, but the most effective treatment is to deliver the baby. If it is too early for delivery, this can present challenges that must be addressed by the parent/s and attending doctor.

Why Hire a Louisville Birth Injury Lawyer for Your Preeclampsia Case

If you, your child, or a loved one suffered harm or lost their life due to preeclampsia, it is important to get help from an experienced birth injury lawyer and consider whether malpractice may have been involved:

• Was preeclampsia diagnosed as early as possible?
• Were all acceptable treatment measures considered, with full knowledge of their consequences?
• Was treatment or delivery performed properly?

These are all questions that our Louisville birth injury attorneys can answer after performing a thorough investigation into your case. The first step will be to contact our offices online or at (502) 244-7772 for a free initial consultation, at which point we can get a better idea of what you’re up against and how we can assist you. The team of attorneys at Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC will be happy to answer your questions and inform you of your rights and options, so you can make the right choices moving forward.

What is Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related, life-threatening hypertensive disorder that is characterized by a rapid rise in blood pressure that can lead to serious complications including seizure, stroke, organ failure, and death of the mother or her baby. Preeclampsia is also characterized by protein in the urine. It can range from mild to severe and typically happen late in pregnancy. There is no cure for preeclampsia, and often the only thing left to do is to give birth to the baby. Even after delivery, some cases of preeclampsia can persist for up to six weeks or more.

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, preeclampsia affects 5-8% of all pregnancies and is the most preventable of the five leading causes of death.

Risk Factors for Preeclampsia

While there is no cure for preeclampsia, monitoring and early detection of the condition can save the lives of the baby and the mother. Although preeclampsia can affect any pregnant woman, there are risk factors that increase the chances of getting preeclampsia including:

• A history of high blood pressure before pregnancy
• Teen pregnancy
• Pregnancy over age 40
• Previous history of preeclampsia
• Family history of preeclampsia
• Maternal obesity
• In vitro fertilization (IVF)
• History of chronic disease including kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, or lupus

Preeclampsia can be detected as early as 20 weeks into the pregnancy and as late as during delivery, although some cases may present earlier. A woman who is being monitored by a medical practitioner during pregnancy will undergo many tests at different stages of the pregnancy. There are some warning signs that can alert a doctor to the onset of preeclampsia. These include:

• Persistent headaches
• Too much protein in the urine
• Elevated level kidney function indicators
• Elevated level of liver function indicators

When a pregnant woman presents with these warning signs, their doctor has a duty to take precautionary steps and order diagnostic tests to confirm.

How is Preeclampsia Treated?

The treatment options for preeclampsia depend on the severity of the case and the gestational age of the pregnancy. In severe cases, the baby must be delivered immediately even if the baby is not close to term. If a baby is well developed and viable outside the womb, your doctor will likely want to induce labor or perform a cesarean section to deliver the baby. In mild cases of preeclampsia, your doctor may be able to manage the condition with treatment until it is safe to deliver your baby. Bed rest, blood pressure medicines, close monitoring of blood and urine tests, as well as frequent ultrasounds and monitoring of the baby’s heart rate are some of the ways that your doctor can manage a mild case of preeclampsia.

If you were under a doctor’s care and they failed to diagnose or treat your preeclampsia, you may be entitled to financial compensation for medical negligence.

How Can a Louisville, Kentucky Medical Negligence Attorney Help You?

The sad truth is that not every injury from preeclampsia is related to medical negligence. Unfortunate things happen during pregnancy and childbirth, but when they are caused by your doctor’s failure to treat you using the required standard of care, you should not have to suffer without compensation. At Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC, we have experienced in-house medical staff who can assess your case and determine whether you have a legal case so you don’t have to wonder. Reach out to our team of Louisville medical malpractice attorneys today to find out if you are eligible for compensation. 

Contact Our Louisville Injury Attorneys for Your Preeclampsia Case

Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC has a reputation for handling the most complex birth injury cases. We’ve been handling lawsuits of this kind in Kentucky for over 30 years, and we have the financial resources, the manpower, and the legal and medical know-how to provide the highest quality counsel. Our team of injury attorneys in Louisville specialize in birth injury cases and have the experience and skill to represent you in your personal injury claim.

Contact us online or call (502) 244-7772 today for a free consultation with one of our caring and experienced Louisville birth injury lawyers.