4 Important Qualities to Look for while Hiring a Birth Injury Lawyer
Bringing new life into this world is a beautiful core memory. As the bundle of joy is welcomed into the arms of the family, there shouldn’t be anything to put a damper on this moment.
Unfortunately, there is.
According to the CDC, about seven children in 1000 a year experience some kind of injury during birth. These could range from cognitive disabilities, physical injuries, or ailments that require lifelong treatment.
The sad reality is that many of these are preventable and happen due to no fault of the parents but medical malpractice.
Since these birth injuries require huge amounts of money and resources to be pooled into providing the child a conducive environment for development and growth, it is unfair to put the onus of responsibility on the child’s parents when these injuries were caused by the hospital or a healthcare professional. That is why, for justice to prevail, the parents must be compensated in full for the emotional and physical trauma inflicted upon them and their child.
A birth injury lawyer can assess whether your medical malpractice lawsuit is valid and help you get the fair compensation you need to manage the costs of childcare as well as put those accountable who have intentionally or unintentionally harmed your child.
We know that selecting the right lawyer for the job is stressful, as you need timely action and support.
To make the process easier, let’s explore four important qualities to look for while hiring a birth injury lawyer. They will not only file a strong, resilient lawsuit but also make an otherwise grueling experience as comfortable as possible.
- Experience
The top-most priority you should give is to the lawyer’s experience. An experienced birth injury lawyer has dealt with or been consulted on hundreds of cases, meaning they’ve seen and thoroughly understood the ins and outs of the law regarding them.
A new birth injury lawyer may know the law like the back of their hands, but they lack the necessary experience.
Experienced lawyers view the case from all perspectives and would not jump to conclusions just because they think the problem seems obvious. They know the consequences of a poorly calculated lawsuit, as your wrong claim can set you up for a hefty defamation charge.
- Communication Skills
It is commonly believed that court cases unfold like a theatrical experience. It means that a case is won not just by the points presented and challenged but also by the way they’ve been aptly relayed to the judge.
A birth injury lawyer with a way with words and impeccable communication skills is more likely to win the case. It is the kind of lawyer you should be looking for.
- Qualification and Access to Medical Resources
Being a birth injury lawyer requires a comprehensive stock of knowledge about medical malpractices and how they impede the healthy development of the child, both in the present and future.
A lawyer is not always a medical degree holder, so it is important that they at least have the necessary resources to understand the type of medical malpractice.
In this way, they could point out exactly how the hospital has deviated from its code of conduct and made preventable mistakes jeopardizing the safety and well-being of the child in question.
To save their reputation and jobs, doctors and nurses rarely come clean about their negligence during childbirth. They are willing to stoop as low as possible to pin the blame on the complaining party, paying no heed to the emotional trauma they’ll be causing the family.
For example, the use of unnecessary and excessive force to push the baby out of the birth canal could be wrongly described as a “need of the hour” or medical emergency in court, while a severe case of cerebral palsy resulting from unmanaged hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) be brushed off on genetics or poor health condition of the mother.
A qualified birth injury lawyer can read between the lines, consult trained professionals on these matters, and present your case effectively.
- Work Ethic
The lawyer should be passionate about the cause and not after your money.
Hence, look for a lawyer that is sympathetic to your problem and is willing to do their best to help you overcome it. Such lawyers work on contingency fees, i.e., they charge you only if you can win the case.
They also have no hidden charges in store for you after taking on the case and are accessible around the clock, well-prepared and prompt on their deliveries; look for a lawyer that shows such a work ethic.
Conclusion
Birth injuries leave a sour impact on the emotional and physical state of the family. To ensure the family receives its due share of compensation, accountability, and medical necessities to fulfill the child’s special needs, a birth injury lawyer is your best resort. Ensure that the lawyer is experienced, an effective communicator, highly qualified, and has a remarkable work ethic to guarantee successful results.
Hope this article is of great help to you.
