Many people who find out that their child has suffered a birth injury that has resulted in a disability or illness are sadly uninformed about their options. Many times, medical professionals are simply not honest, which may leave the family believing one of the widely held myths about birth injuries. This is a problem because believing these myths can keep these families from seeking help and getting compensation for their suffering.
Here are a few of the common myths that these families are told:
The first birth injury myth is that the child was simply born with the birth injury and it had nothing to do with the medical treatment the child and mother received. At times, this is true, as sometimes birth injuries can be caused by a genetic abnormality. However, many times, birth injuries are completely avoidable. Since medical professionals will generally not tell you that a birth injury could have been avoidable, it is important to talk to a legal professional specializing in the topic to see if there was some negligence on the part of your medical care team.
The next common myth that parents of children with birth injuries believe is that it is too late to file a claim, even if they realize a medical professional was at fault. Parents may not realize that they should file a claim until later, when they begin to think about what happened and realize they have been misinformed. Even if parents think it is too late to talk to an attorney, they should get a consultation to see what their options are.
The last myth is that the medical team just couldn’t have done anything differently. Many parents of children with birth injuries just believe this without question. Unfortunately, it isn’t always true. Medical professionals often withhold information, so even if they knowingly made a mistake, the parents will not likely be informed about it. If a parent has any doubt at all, he or she should talk to an attorney to see what options are available.
These are a few of the myths that keep parents from seeking legal help when their child suffers from a birth injury. If your child has been affected by what you suspect to be medical negligence, don’t wait. Contact a birth injury attorney and get some advice on your case, so that you can proceed early if your child was indeed a victim of a careless medical professional.
