Michigan Birth Injuries Often Result from Medical Malpractice

Labor and delivery doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmacists and other medical professional have been known to act negligent at times in Michigan and seriously injure a patient. This act is considered to be medical malpractice, which is defined as a professional health care provider committing an act of negligence which may injure a patient or lead to death.

Michigan medical malpractice cases involve misdiagnosis of diseases, failure to diagnose, surgical errors, prescription errors, and birth injuries, among others. If doctors fail to deliver a baby properly by using improper labor practices, they can seriously injure the infant at birth. The most common birth injuries include:

• Cerebral Palsy is caused by leaving the baby in the birth canal too long, causing a lack of oxygen. It can also be caused from improperly using forceps. This can cause brain damage, a loss of movement, seizures, and trouble with muscle coordination.
• Erb’s Palsy also known as Brachial Plexus injury is caused from severely pulling an infant’s arm during birth. It can also occur from a breech delivery due to the pressure on the baby’s shoulders. It can cause a weakness to the arm or even paralysis of the hand and arm.
• Clavicle Fracture is the most common bone fracture a baby has due to a difficult birth. The collar bone can fracture during a breech delivery due to difficulty delivering the infant’s shoulder. The baby often doesn’t move their arm on the side of the fracture; however, surgery can typically repair this injury.
• Facial Paralysis is caused from pressure on the infant’s face which may cause the facial nerve to be injured. Typically, this injury is caused from improper use of forceps and may produce temporary or permanent paralysis.

Some Michigan birth injuries will heal within weeks or months such as bruising or forceps scars, even some nerve loss caused from swelling around the nerves can be temporary. If a nerve is torn, surgery may be needed to repair the infant. However, there are other birth injuries that cannot be repaired and may result in paralysis, permanent damage, or a wrongful death.

If your baby has been injured at birth, it can cause you grief and financial stress. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, hospital bills, medication, lost wages, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. Seek legal advice if you believe your infant’s injury was caused from a medical malpractice in Michigan.

Contact Michigan medical malpractice lawyers at the law firm of Keller & Keller at (269) 983-7333. We are experienced birth injury attorneys and won’t charge for advice. Call today for a free legal consultation and our Michigan injury attorneys will answer your legal questions today.


We represent injured victims in the cities of Saint Joseph, Grand Rapids, Benton Township, Niles, Kalamazoo, South Bend, Battle Creek, Fort Wayne, Lansing, Elkhart, Granger, Benton Harbor, Benton Heights, Coloma, South Haven, Buchanan and Hagar Township, and throughout Michigan.

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