Were you or your newborn injured during or after childbirth in Peachtree Corners, GA?
At Moriarty Medical Malpractice Lawyers, we help families understand their rights after a birth injury in Peachtree Corners.
If you or your baby was harmed during delivery or in the days that followed, we can reconstruct the care from the delivery, nursery, and postpartum records, identify each provider who missed a warning sign, and pursue compensation for your family. Moriarty Medical Malpractice Lawyers pursues birth injury claims for mothers and infants throughout Gwinnett County.
Our Peachtree Corners, GA birth injury lawyer prepares each claim so it can be resolved through negotiation or presented at trial. A free consultation is available to discuss the records you have.
Birth Injury Lawyer Peachtree Corners, GA
A birth injury claim addresses harm to a baby or a mother caused by substandard care during pregnancy, delivery, or the postpartum period. Serious complications can develop after a mother leaves the hospital, and pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia are counted through one year after the end of pregnancy.
Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee found that nearly 85 percent of pregnancy-related deaths from 2019 to 2021 were preventable, according to Georgia DPH data. A Peachtree Corners birth injury attorney evaluates whether postpartum warning signs were recognized and treated in time.
Types of Birth Injury Cases We Handle in Peachtree Corners
Some of the most serious birth injuries develop after delivery, in the newborn nursery or on the postpartum unit. As birth injury lawyers in Peachtree Corners, we handle claims involving the care of both the infant and the mother.
- Newborn jaundice and kernicterus. Early detection and treatment of jaundice can prevent kernicterus, a form of brain damage caused by high bilirubin. We examine whether bilirubin was measured and acted on before the baby went home.
- Neonatal infections. Pregnant patients are routinely tested for group B strep, a bacterium that can cause serious infections in newborns. A positive result that was never acted on, or a delay in treating an infant with signs of infection, can support a claim.
- Shoulder and nerve injuries. Excessive pulling on a baby’s head or neck during a difficult delivery can damage the brachial plexus nerves. These injuries can cause weakness or paralysis in the arm.
- Delayed newborn resuscitation. A baby who is not breathing well at birth needs immediate support. Delays in resuscitation can lead to oxygen deprivation and lasting neurological harm.
- Postpartum hemorrhage. Heavy bleeding after delivery requires quick recognition and treatment. A slow response can result in emergency surgery, a hysterectomy, or death.
- Preeclampsia and postpartum hypertension. Dangerously high blood pressure can develop during pregnancy or after delivery. Missed urgent maternal warning signs, such as a severe headache or vision changes, can lead to seizures or a stroke.
- Maternal infections. Uterine infections and infected cesarean incisions call for prompt antibiotics and close monitoring before and after discharge.
- Hospital negligence. Nursery and postpartum units depend on adequate staffing and regular checks of mothers and infants. Missed assessments and late calls to a physician can make the hospital itself responsible.
- Telemedicine malpractice. Prenatal and postpartum check-ins by video cannot replace a physical examination when symptoms call for one. A provider who fails to bring a patient in for an in-person evaluation may be responsible for the resulting harm.
- Wrongful death medical malpractice. If a mother or infant dies because of negligent care, the family may pursue a claim for that loss.
Why Choose Moriarty Medical Malpractice Lawyers as My Birth Injury Lawyer in Peachtree Corners, GA?
Prepared for Negotiation and for Trial
Birth injury claims are often resolved through settlement, but a fair offer depends on evidence strong enough to present to a jury. We gather the medical proof and the cost projections before negotiations begin. Daniel J. Moriarty has handled malpractice claims from pretrial preparation through jury verdicts and appellate review. His academic background includes honors from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Texas Law. The same preparation applies to every family that retains a medical malpractice lawyer in Peachtree Corners, GA at our firm.
Verdicts and Recoveries for Injured Clients
More than $200 million in compensation has been secured for our clients since 2019. Georgia’s ten largest malpractice verdicts include two won by our firm.
- Verdict: $30 million in a medical malpractice case
- $17.5 million secured in a claim involving substandard medical care
- $16.8 million obtained for an injured patient
These amounts reflect the facts of those specific cases and are not a forecast for any other family’s claim. The value of a birth injury case depends on the diagnosis, the proof of fault, and the future care required.
Understanding Birth Injury Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Birth Injury Cases
Negligence during and after childbirth can harm two patients at once. Liability depends on proof that the obstetric or neonatal care fell below accepted practice and that this failure caused the injury. The child’s claim and the mother’s claim are evaluated separately.
- The child’s losses: Future medical treatment, therapy, adaptive equipment, and reduced earning capacity in adulthood. Oxygen-related injuries such as hypoxia can require care for life.
- The mother’s losses: Medical expenses, lost income, pain, and lasting effects of complications, including treatment involving blood transfusion risks after a hemorrhage.
- The family’s losses: Costs the parents pay for the child’s care while the child is a minor.
When an infant dies because of medical negligence and leaves no spouse or child, O.C.G.A. § 19-7-1 places the right to recover the full value of the child’s life with the parents.
What Are Important Aspects of a Birth Injury Case?
Some newborn and postpartum complications arise despite sound care. A claim requires records showing that the warning signs were present and that the response came too late.
- Nursery flow sheets recording bilirubin checks, feeding, and vital signs before discharge
- Postpartum nursing notes on blood loss, blood pressure, and pain
- Lab results, including the mother’s group B strep test and the timing of any antibiotics
- Resuscitation records and Apgar scores that document signs of birth asphyxia
- Imaging and infection workups for an infant later diagnosed with neonatal meningitis
- Operative notes when a delivery complication such as uterine rupture required emergency surgery
What Is the Birth Injury Case Timeline?
For a child hurt at birth, O.C.G.A. § 9-3-73 extends the filing deadline to the child’s seventh birthday. The same statute prohibits any claim for that child after the tenth birthday. A mother’s claim for her own injuries must generally be filed within two years under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-71.
The two claims often proceed together, although the deadlines differ.
- Requesting delivery, nursery, NICU, and postpartum records from each facility
- Having a neonatologist or obstetrician evaluate the care, arranged by our Peachtree Corners, GA birth injury attorney
- Documenting the child’s diagnosis and expected needs as development continues
- Filing suit, followed by written discovery and depositions of the nurses and physicians
- Negotiation, mediation, and, if the case does not settle, a jury trial
What Should You Bring to Your Birth Injury Consultation?
Records from the days after delivery matter as much as the labor and delivery chart.
- Newborn discharge paperwork, including any bilirubin or hearing screening results
- The mother’s postpartum discharge summary and medication list
- Pediatrician and NICU records from the first weeks
- Photographs of the baby’s skin color or the mother’s incision, if you have them
- Hospital and pediatric billing statements for both patients
We will review the timeline with you and explain which claims may be available for your child and for you. Our review also covers pediatric care after the newborn period, because other medical errors at that stage can add to a child’s injuries.
Reach Out to Moriarty Medical Malpractice Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
When a newborn or mother was harmed during or after delivery, our Peachtree Corners birth injury lawyer can evaluate what happened with no fee for the consultation. Moriarty Medical Malpractice Lawyers charges a family no attorney fee in a birth injury case unless the claim produces compensation. Your consultation will cover the separate filing deadlines for the child and the mother. Contact us when you are ready to discuss your family’s situation.