While every woman expects to lose some blood during childbirth, excessive bleeding or suffering a hemorrhage after the birth of a child can pose serious health risks to the mother. If you suffered from postpartum hemorrhage, our seasoned Rochester medical negligence lawyers can help evaluate your case and determine whether you have a valid legal claim. We know how stressful these situations can be, which is why we will navigate your case with the utmost compassion.
What is Postpartum Hemorrhage?
The average amount of blood loss for a single baby delivered vaginally is approximately 500 milliliters. For cesarean births, the average amount is about 1,000 milliliters. Postpartum hemorrhage is the acute loss of blood after childbirth and it takes place when a woman loses 500ml or greater of blood during vaginal delivery and 1000ml or greater of blood after a C-section. Sadly, every year, a number of women die due to pregnancy-related complications. Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of complications with an estimated 2.9 percent of women who give birth in the US suffering from excessive bleeding,
Postpartum Hemorrhage Malpractice
There are many factors that increase the risk of a postpartum hemorrhage which doctors and other medical professionals involved in the birth are trained to recognize and should be on the lookout for. For example, placental abruption (i.e., the early detachment of the placenta from the uterus) can greatly increase a woman’s likelihood of a postpartum hemorrhage.
When medical professionals fail to timely recognize and treat postpartum hemorrhage, the consequences can be devastating ranging from shock to heart attack to kidney failure and even death. In addition, women may need to be placed on a ventilator or undergo a hysterectomy.
If you or your baby has been injured due to medical negligence pertaining to a postpartum hemorrhage, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against the at-fault party. In order to win a medical malpractice case, the plaintiff must establish the following: a doctor-patient relationship, negligence and that the patient’s injury was a direct cause of the doctor’s negligence. The first element is relative easy to establish as when a doctor examines a patient, a relationship generally exists. Establishing negligence is more complicated. To show negligence, the plaintiff must show that the doctor’s conduct deviated from what a reasonable doctor in the same specialty would have done in the same or similar circumstances. The last element, which is causation, is critical to winning a medical malpractice claim. It is not enough to show that the doctor’s conduct was negligent, but also that the negligence was a direct cause of the patient’s injury.
Hiring a Skilled Rochester Malpractice Attorneys
Injuries from a postpartum hemorrhage can lead to serious harm, which can be extremely expensive to treat. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our diligent Rochester medical malpractice attorneys are committed to pursuing claims on behalf of women who have been injured by postpartum hemorrhage. For more information about your legal rights and options, please call us at 833-200-2000 or contact us online.
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