Atlanta Preeclampsia Lawyer
It is important to hire an experienced preeclampsia attorney because it is easy for wrongdoers to claim that they did not cause the high blood pressure. While that is true, it is the healthcare provider’s job to monitor and control that high blood pressure. An experienced attorney knows how to focus the inquiry on the actions or inactions of the healthcare providers and failing to closely monitor the blood pressure of the mom and so to fail to take the steps necessary to keep the mom and baby safe. Reach out to a team of dedicated medical malpractice attorneys who could place your needs at the forefront of your case. Contact an Atlanta preeclampsia lawyer today.
What is Preeclampsia?
Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy where there is high blood pressure, usually accompanied by signs of damage to an organ or system, usually the liver or the kidneys. Preeclampsia occurs in women who typically have normal blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Some of the common causes of preeclampsia are insufficient blood flow to the uterus, damage to the blood vessels, immune system problems, and certain genetic causes.
Treatments for Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is treatable. In mild cases where the baby is not ready to be born, such as before 34 weeks, the mom is typically be ordered to rest. She might be instructed to lie on her left side because that could help take the weight of the baby off of the major blood vessels. A mom would be ordered to do more frequent prenatal checkups so that she could be more closely monitored. She may also receive some dietary instructions by decreasing her salt and drinking more water.
In the more moderate to severe cases of preeclampsia, blood pressure medication could help decrease the blood pressure as much as possible. This helps get the baby far enough along in the pregnancy so that he or she could be safely delivered. If the preeclampsia becomes too severe or becomes a risk to the mom or child, then the optimal treatment would involve delivering the baby.
Associated Risks During or After Treatment
There are often risks during or after treatment. If the condition becomes serious and is not treated quickly or properly, there could be serious complications for the mother such as renal failure or cardiovascular issues. There are also threatening conditions that could lead to seizures in the mom or something called HELLP syndrome, which is a condition that affects the breakdown of red blood cells and how the blood clots. All of these could be catastrophic for the mother and baby.
Frequency of Doctor Visits
The frequency of doctor’s visits when dealing with preeclampsia depends on the severity of the case and how well the blood pressure is controlled by diet and other kinds of treatments. In the earlier periods of pregnancy, it may be every other week but once diagnosed individuals get closer to delivery, visits typically become more frequent. A lot of times, the visits are weekly or several times a week for blood pressure checks just to make sure that blood pressure is controlled and not putting the mom or the baby at risk.
Risks of Untreated Preeclampsia
If preeclampsia is left untreated, it could cause catastrophic injuries. The baby may need to be delivered early and his or her lungs may not be fully developed as a result. The victimized child may have impairments such as learning disorders and cerebral palsy. Also with preeclampsia, babies are dealing with a reduced blood flow to the placenta and as a result, they get what is called intrauterine growth restriction, which prevents the baby from growing and developing at a normal pace.
If it is not promptly and properly treated, mothers could have a stillbirth where the baby dies. With the mom, it again causes eclampsia, which can lead to seizures, HELLP syndrome, and even death.
Wrongful Deaths as a Result of Medical Negligence
If a mother dies because the doctor failed to diagnose preeclampsia, it becomes a wrongful death lawsuit. The surviving spouse could file a suit for the losses. If the mother was not married, the claim could be brought by the child, or on their behalf by a grandparent or a sibling of the mother.
Necessary Evidence for an Atlanta Preeclampsia Negligence Case
To prove malpractice, victims have to be able to demonstrate first and foremost that the mother did have blood pressure problems and that those problems were noticed by the doctor, nurses, or healthcare providers and not dealt with. It needs to be shown that the providers departed from the standard of care and failed to sufficiently notice and address the problems. If victims show those steps were not taken or if the blood pressure became too severe, then those would all be things that they would need to demonstrate. They would have to get expert testimony to support their case along with deposition testimony from all of the medical providers involved and other fact witnesses to put together their case. Fortunately, there are attorneys that could enlist the services of an in-house medical professional who could help assess the nature of a victim’s injuries.
Potential Compensation from Medical Malpractice Cases
Types of compensation that may be available in a preeclampsia case include medical costs. If a mother has a child who was delivered much earlier and as a result the child has cerebral palsy and multiple constellations of injuries, that would incur lifelong future medical costs. There is going to have pain and suffering for the mother and potentially the baby as well. There would be the costs of future equipment and devices to help that child throughout their life. For a child who is unable to live a normal life, attorneys could seek the lost wages on behalf of that child since he or she would be unable to care for him or herself.
Contact an Attorney Immediately
An attorney could assist a victim or his or her mother with legal advice which could help them understand what their rights are under the applicable law and how best to get a resolution of their case. In some circumstances, the lawyer could perform an investigation of a person’s case and find that he or she does not have a viable claim. However, attorneys could still talk to the family about that and explain why they do not have a viable claim and why filing a lawsuit would not be in their best interest.
In cases where the patient does have a viable claim, a lawyer could explain to him or her what that process is like, what is required, do all the work so that he or she may focus on getting the medical treatment needed to deal with the injury, and present the findings with cutting-edge courtroom technology. Call at any hour to speak directly to an attorney who could place your needs at the forefront of a case. Call today and speak with an Atlanta preeclampsia lawyer.
