Bringing a newborn into this morning is a beautiful, life-changing moment for mothers and fathers. Sadly, many new babies suffer from medical malpractice brought on by the negligence of hospital staff. There are several birth injuries newborns sustain when not properly cared for by medical personnel. Some birth injuries can have long-term negative consequences, including skull fractures.

If you have or someone you know has a baby believed to have suffered from a skull fracture at birth, we want to help you seek rightful compensation.

What Are Newborn Skull Fractures?

Everyone who is familiar with the makeup of newborns knows that their heads are extremely fragile at birth. This is why a newborn’s head must be supported whenever someone is holding them. Skull fractures can occur during childbirth due to the fragility of the bones.

At birth, newborns are susceptible to many birth injuries, including those to the head such as skull fractures. A fracture is a full or partial break of a bone in your body that can happen anywhere. Newborns have a very soft skull at birth to help them glide through the birth canal earlier. Because of a newborn’s fragile skull, this unfortunately makes them more susceptible to skull fractures.

These injuries significantly impact the brain and can cause extreme impairments if not caught in time and monitored correctly.

Types of Newborn Skull Fractures

There are 3 main types of newborn skull fractures:

Depressed
Diastatic
Linear

A depressed newborn skull fracture causes an indentation on the skull, putting pressure on the brain and requiring surgery to heal properly. Generally, these occurrences will not pose long-term effects if caught in time.

Diastatic skull fractures are fractures along the five bone plates in a newborn’s skull. If it is not caught in time and monitored, it can develop into a severe condition and cause the brain to swell out of the skull.

A linear newborn skull fracture is a straight crack in the skull bone. Luckily, these common newborn skull fractures do not require surgery, but there are potential risks for them growing into a hematoma.

How Do Newborn Skull Fractures Occur?

So, how do these newborn skull fractures occur? Childbirth is very complex and different for every expecting mother, but there is often a pattern for these injuries occurring during labor.

Most newborn skull fractures occur by wrong or forcefully using tools by doctors or improper birthing techniques. Complicated labors can also cause newborn skull fractures when a doctor makes a too-late call for a c-section. Not all difficult deliveries require a c-section, however. Because of this, a doctor may use certain instruments during the delivery process by using forceps and vacuum extractors that cause these fractures.

These instruments can easily cause an injury to the newborn if the doctor is not careful and uses excessive force while trying to deliver the baby. A baby’s head is the main concern during delivery and is under immense pressure. Oftentimes, these fractures happen spontaneously due to the quick movement and decision of hospital care staff.

Possible Consequences Of Newborn Skull Fracture

There are significant consequences that can occur due to a newborn skull fracture that can severely alter the life of a healthy baby. These injuries are significant since they impact neurological growth and affect the brain.

Possible consequences of newborn skull fractures include:

Cerebral palsy
Brain damage
Developmental delays
Cognitive impairments

When a newborn skull fracture occurs, there is a lot of unwarranted pressure then put upon the parent at such a serious stage in their life. If the skull fracture is dangerous enough, it can require urgent surgeries, long-term treatment, and costly medical bills, in addition to the emotional and mental toll a parent will suffer from.

While it cannot make a baby completely healthy, filing a medical malpractice claim can help assist parents going through this traumatic event and make up for the financial burdens and impact on their child’s quality of life.

It is straightforward to get started filing a medical malpractice claim. With the best Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer on your side, you can seek the compensation you rightfully deserve to assist these preventable occurrences.

Filing For Medical Malpractice

When a parent’s baby suffers a newborn skull fracture, there is the option to file for medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is when a healthcare professional acts in a negligent way that causes harm, injury, or death to a patient. In the instance where a newborn suffers a skull fracture, there is the option to file and make a case.

The first step in filing a medical malpractice claim is looking for an experienced Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer to take the reins and make a case against the organization. Filing a lawsuit against a medical practice can seem very intimidating and scary, which is why patients should seek the help of legal professionals. Unlike other personal injury cases, medical malpractice cases are trickier to prove and win.

For these cases, the plaintiff has to prove that the doctor or healthcare worker wronged the patient by providing the wrong care. Attorneys will have to look at more than the situation in these cases for proof of what happened to cause the injury. Other medical professionals will be brought in for questioning and comparison of care provided and how other medical professionals would have given care to the child.

Some medical practices will be open to a settlement your lawyer can negotiate before the case makes it to court. You should look for a lawyer that possesses excellent negotiation skills so you can receive the highest amount possible if this were to happen.

Get The Help of An Experienced Attorney

It is very sad when a trusted medical professional causes a mishap during birth that temporarily or permanently impacts a newborn’s quality of life. If you or a loved one has a newborn that has suffered a skull fracture during childbirth, the experienced attorneys at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers are ready to help you seek rightful justice.

We serve the Port St. Lucie, Florida area and many other close locations as a Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer (by appointment only). Our team has been in practice for nearly 40 years, which has awarded us the best knowledge of legal tactics. It’s a difficult task filing a lawsuit against medical practices as they often have certain rules in place and strong attorneys on their end to block these kinds of lawsuits from affecting their reputation.

Hiring a Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers means that you get a legal professional on your side who has the experience you need to fight against these cases. We know how the other side thinks and can anticipate their moves, making your case stronger and more favorable.

You can start by giving us a call at (561) 800-8000 or filling out our free consultation form online. We will schedule a no-obligation free consultation where we will discuss your case and how we can help you seek the compensation you deserve.

Florida has a two-year timeline where you’re able to file your claim. Don’t let time drag on any longer. Call us today to get started.