Greensboro Birth Injury Lawyer

Greensboro Birth Injury Attorney

When medical negligence in Greensboro leads to injuries to your newborn, your life can change forever. If your child suffered a serious injury at birth, a Greensboro birth injury lawyer can help your family evaluate whether a legal claim is possible under North Carolina law. Don’t wait to pursue justice and hold negligent medical personnel accountable.

Experienced Birth Injury Attorneys in Greensboro, NC

While having a child can be an incredibly exciting time during your life, it can also come with a mountain of stress and anxiety. When going through the birth process, you should be able to rely on your medical team to take care of both you and your baby.

Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC, is a Charlotte-based law firm focusing on personal injury and medical malpractice cases throughout North Carolina. We have represented clients since 1978, handling complex and emotionally difficult cases with compassion and skill. We understand just how devastating a birth injury can be and are prepared to fight for you.

At Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC, we accept cases selectively to make a meaningful difference for the families we serve. Clients receive direct attorney contact and consistent updates throughout their cases. Our results include multimillion-dollar recoveries in severe injury and wrongful death cases.

Understanding Birth Injuries in Greensboro

It is every parent’s dream to have a healthy baby delivered by their medical team. In 2022, there were 5,883 babies born in Guilford County. Unfortunately, 52 of them did not make it to their first birthday. These devastating deaths can often be caused by medical negligence that occurred in the delivery room.

In North Carolina, birth injuries caused by medical care are addressed under Chapter 90, Article 1B of the General Statutes, which covers medical malpractice. Under this statute, parents can seek compensation when a child is harmed or dies because of negligence in medical care. These cases are considered civil, and in Greensboro are usually overseen at the District Court at 201 South Eugene Street.

Potential Damages in a Greensboro Birth Injury Case

There are a variety of damages that may be awarded in a successful Greensboro birth injury case. These can include damages such as coverage of medical costs, compensation for pain and suffering, and punitive damages.

While there is no limit on economic damages, such as medical costs and future care, state law limits noneconomic damages, which cover non-financial harms such as the pain and suffering of your child and emotional distress. As of 2023, noneconomic damages are capped at $656,730.

Non-economic damages do not include punitive damages. Punitive damages in North Carolina are separate and are implemented to punish wrongful conduct. For example, if a nurse deliberately ignored emergency protocols during labor, or the doctor was inebriated during delivery, and it led to your baby’s injury, a judge may award punitive damages to the victim.

How to Prove Negligence in a Greensboro Birth Injury Case

Proving that medical negligence occurred requires a skilled approach, which is why working with a skilled Greensboro birth injury lawyer from our firm can make an immense difference in your case. To prove medical negligence occurred, you and your lawyer must demonstrate the following elements:

1. Duty of Care. It has to be shown that the healthcare provider or hospital has a responsibility to care for the patient.
2. Breach of Duty. This means that you must demonstrate that the provider did something wrong, or didn’t do something that a competent medical professional would have done.
3. Causation. It’s important to connect the provider’s mistake directly to the injury your baby suffered.
4. Damages. This is proof that the mistake caused real harm, such as physical injury to the child, medical bills, or emotional distress.

It’s vital to hire a birth injury lawyer to understand the full extent of what you can recover during your case. Guilford County continues to have high infant mortality rates, with 8.8 deaths per 1,000 births. This is more than 20% higher than North Carolina’s rate of 6.6. Many of these deaths can be attributed to birth injuries.

Choose Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC, for Dedicated Representation

At Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC, our devoted team has over 90 years of combined legal experience. As a family-based firm, we know the devastation injuries can have on your entire family, and we are here to help guide you through your legal options.

We prioritize careful investigation and hands-on support, offering clients detailed updates throughout the legal process. As a small law firm focused on quality, not quantity, Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC, handles each case with a high level of care and attention.

FAQs About Greensboro Birth Injury Laws

Q: What Types of Damages Can I Request in a Greensboro Birth Injury Claim?

A: Compensation depends on how serious the birth injury is and how it affects the child’s life. Damages can include things like coverage of past and future medical bills, compensation for emotional distress or pain and suffering, coverage of lost earning potential when the child becomes an adult, and more.

Q: How Do You Open a Birth Injury Case in North Carolina?

A: To open a birth injury case in North Carolina, you must first gather your child’s medical records and identify how the injury affects their life and your family. Then, you should speak with a birth injury lawyer who can review your case and determine your legal options. If there’s evidence of medical negligence, your lawyer may collect evidence and file a claim on your behalf.

Q: How Do I Know If My Child’s Injury Was Caused by Medical Negligence in North Carolina?

A: If doctors or nurses failed to follow proper medical procedures, ignored warning signs, or delayed care during labor and delivery, and your baby was harmed, negligence was likely involved. It is always worth consulting a lawyer if you suspect negligence was present, even if it wasn’t blatantly obvious. During your consultation, our team can review your medical records along with your story and then consult with experts to determine what went wrong.

Q: What Qualifies as a Birth Injury in North Carolina?

A: A birth injury in North Carolina is considered to be physical harm that a baby suffers before, during, or shortly after delivery. It can be caused by medical mistakes, oxygen deprivation, difficult labor, or improper use of delivery tools. Examples of birth injuries in North Carolina include cerebral palsy, brain damage, skull fractures, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), lacerations, and more.

Contact a Trusted Greensboro Birth Injury Lawyer

It can be incredibly difficult for parents to cope with the reality that their baby was injured due to negligence. However, there are still legal options available that allow you to pursue justice. We can help you fight to hold negligent medical personnel accountable and secure justice for your child.

If your child suffered harm due to suspected medical negligence in Greensboro, Contact Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC, to learn more about how we can represent you.