A Quebec woman is taking legal action against her obstetrical team after suffering significant injuries in the 2010 birth of her child. The plaintiff’s child was also injured during what court documents describe as “a traumatic and chaotic birth that caused numerous damages to the plaintiffs, notably a permanent paralysis to the [baby’s] right arm,” according to the Toronto Star. Will Davidson LLP’s team of medical malpractice lawyers has experience with cases involving birth trauma, and as such was interested in the specifics of this claim.
The Star reports that Anik Bourbeau and Pascal Lessard’s doctors neglected to perform an ultrasound to evaluate the size of the baby, which was delivered naturally at 13 pounds. Bourbeau had a history of difficult pregnancies and explicitly expressed a willingness to undergo a C-section, which the doctors did not recommend.
“The defendants omitted to proceed to an evaluation of the child’s size, while the clinical evolution of Madame Bourbeau demanded it,” the court documents read.
Childbirth should be a profound, meaningful, and celebratory moment in an individual’s life, which is why birthing injuries and obstetrical malpractice are such painful experiences. Significant birth traumas can have devastating and even life-long effects on both the mother and the child, which is why experienced medical malpractice lawyers are often called on to help access compensation.
Bourbeau and Lessard are seeking $1.4-million in damages from their doctors and the hospital where the birth occurred. This compensation is intended to cover loss of income for both parents, future medical costs for the child, and general damages. The case will likely be heard in Quebec’s Superior Court next May.
When a child suffers a serious injury at birth, his or her parents will often feel the impact for years. For instance, birthing complications that cut off the child’s oxygen can result in developmental disabilities, which may require extensive employment and lifestyle sacrifices from the parents. Caring for a disabled child is expensive and exceptionally challenging – if the disability was caused by a healthcare professional’s preventable error, the child and child’s family may be entitled to financial compensation.
Medical malpractice cases in Canada are often lengthy and extremely complex, which is why injured patients should contact an experienced and accomplished team of medical malpractice lawyers, like the ones at Will Davidson LLP. Our team has been helping injured Ontarians access compensation for their injuries for years; call us today to set up a free consultation and learn how we can help you put your life back on track.
Image credit: Gilberto Santa Rosa/Wikimedia Commons
