Atlanta Jaundice Lawyer
Jaundice is a medical condition where either the skin or the whites of the eyes are turned yellow. Excess amounts of a pigment called bilirubin causes jaundice. It is often due to the obstruction of a bile duct, a liver disease, or excessive breakdown of red blood cells.
Bilirubin is a yellowish orange substance made by the body during the breakdown of red blood cells. It passes to the liver and is typically squeezed out the body. If there is an excessive amount of it and it is not being properly excreted or broken down, it can lead to jaundice.
If you suspect that a physician’s negligence led your child to suffer more harm, you should enlist the help of a seasoned birth injury attorney before entering litigation. A skilled Atlanta jaundice lawyer could help you advocate for your child’s rights in the court proceeding and pursue compensation from responsible parties.
Preventing and Treating Jaundice
Jaundice in babies is prevented by early and frequent feedings. Feedings within the first few hours of a baby’s birth can help reduce his or her risk of jaundice because breast milk provides the energy he or she needs to process bilirubin and excrete it out of the body safely.
In most cases, jaundice usually goes away on its own without treatment, but phototherapy is used in situations involving excess bilirubin. This treatment entails exposing a baby to a blue light, which is then absorbed by the skin to make bilirubin more easily excreted. Phototherapy may be administered either in the hospital or at home.
Grounds for an Atlanta Jaundice Malpractice Lawsuit
Medical care professionals who ignore symptoms of jaundice could be held liable in a malpractice lawsuit. For example, failing to treat it with phototherapy could lead a baby to suffer severe injuries such as brain damage, cerebral palsy, or hearing loss. Circumstances such as these could form the basis of a successful civil suit with the help of an experienced Atlanta jaundice attorney.
If a doctor fails to intervene when a baby’s bilirubin is rising, that is not enough evidence to prove their negligence. A claimant would need an expert witness to testify that a doctor should have known that a baby’s bilirubin was quickly rising by pointing to his or her yellowing skin and eyes or lab results which demonstrated rising bilirubin. They would also need to establish that a medical care provider’s negligence directly caused more injuries and damages to the baby.
Crucial Evidence for Proving Medical Negligence
Expert witness testimony is an essential piece of evidence for proving a physician’s negligence. Having another medical professional present before a defendant doctor could make the difference in a successful claim for damages because they can attest to whether the defendant ignored signs of a baby’s increasing bilirubin or jaundice symptoms. Expert witness testimony can also establish the extent and scope of harm that a negligent doctor causes to a baby with aggravated jaundice.
In addition, those who observe a baby, such as friends and family members, could provide testimony. Medical records would document who was coming to examine the baby, how often they would check on the infant, and what steps were being taken to make sure that the baby was okay. A dedicated jaundice lawyer in Atlanta could review medical records and reach out to expert witnesses on behalf of a claimant to determine whether medical negligence caused a baby’s injuries.
Contact an Atlanta Jaundice Attorney Today
Parents should contact an Atlanta jaundice lawyer if they believe that a physician caused more harm to their child. The consequences of jaundice in infants may be significant if it is left untreated, as it can cause brain injury, cerebral palsy, and hearing loss. For help with understanding how your doctor’s actions or inaction may have injured your baby, get in touch with qualified legal counsel who can evaluate your case and offer you legal options.
