If your baby was diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) after a complicated delivery, contact an Albuquerque medical malpractice lawyer at the Fine Law Firm to find out if your medical providers made a preventable error.
If there is evidence of medical malpractice in connection with your infant’s brain injury, your family may be eligible for financial compensation. We can help you hold a hospital or health care provider accountable for what may be a life-changing brain injury. Call (505) 889-FINE 24/7 for a no-cost evaluation of your case.
What Sets Us Apart in Albuquerque?
- We are an established and esteemed personal injury law firm with a long history in the community. For more than 50 years, The Fine Law Firm has aggressively advocated for victims of medical malpractice and various birth injuries.
- Our birth injury attorneys in Albuquerque have a proven track record of success. We have secured millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, including a $2.2 million verdict for prenatal malpractice, $1 million for failure to diagnose and $750,000 for ER malpractice.
- We truly care about our clients and want to ease their burden in every way possible. We represent clients in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t be charged anything for our services unless we win your case.
The Importance of Hiring an Attorney for a Case of HIE
A hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy lawyer in Albuquerque can help you and your family through every stage of the justice process. A lawyer can determine the cause of your child’s injury, identify the responsible parties, collect evidence of medical malpractice, and take on one or more insurance companies to seek fair compensation.
HIE cases typically require evidence from a medical expert. When you work with an attorney in Albuquerque, they can connect you to highly qualified experts to help strengthen and prove your case. Your lawyer can prepare key court documents, submit the paperwork by New Mexico’s deadline and represent you in trial, if needed, in the pursuit of maximum compensation for your child’s preventable brain injury.
What Is Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy?
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a disorder that affects the brain and can alter how it works, specifically caused by a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) or blood (ischemia) reaching the brain. Infant HIE can happen due to a disruption in the flow of oxygen or blood to the infant’s developing brain before, during or just after the labor and delivery process.
HIE in an infant can have mild to severe effects depending on the level of damage to the baby’s brain. This condition can cause motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, developmental delays and permanent disabilities. It is also connected to long-term conditions such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
Signs of HIE
Your newborn may have hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or another type of brain injury if one or more of these symptoms appear shortly after birth:
- Trouble feeding or sucking
- Unusual sleepiness
- Decreased responsiveness
- Little to no response to stimuli
- Lack of typical reflexes
- Abnormal breathing patterns
- Slow or irregular heartbeat
- Behavioral changes
- Seizures
- Signs of organ dysfunction
Note that every case of HIE is unique. You should always get your infant professional medical care if the child is exhibiting any signs of something amiss.
How Can Medical Malpractice Cause Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy?
HIE is often preventable. It can arise due to avoidable problems during the birthing process that stem from various examples of medical malpractice. If a health care provider makes an error in judgment during labor or delivery, it can lead to an infant’s supply of blood and/or oxygen getting cut off.
If hypoxia or ischemia occurs even for a short period of time, it can cause permanent damage to the infant’s developing brain. Examples of medical negligence that are often behind cases of HIE in New Mexico are:
- Failure to notice signs of fetal distress
- Delays in responding to signs of an emergency
- Delayed C-section delivery during a complicated birth
- Umbilical cord prolapse or other issues that are not properly resolved
- Failing to address a situation where an infant’s flow of blood or oxygen has been compromised
- Improper use of birth-assistive tools or labor-inducing drugs
- Negligent infant care after birth
If your child shows signs of HIE or is diagnosed with a brain injury shortly after birth, take the infant to a different doctor for treatment. Then, contact The Fine Law Firm for a comprehensive investigation that can determine whether a medical mistake contributed to the oxygen deprivation and brain injury.
Your Rights if Your Baby Has Suffered HIE in Albuquerque
Filing a lawsuit in Albuquerque for a case of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy can allow your family to hold a negligent party responsible for causing this birth injury. With help from our attorneys, you can pursue maximum compensation for all the losses your infant and family have suffered because of an act of medical malpractice.
We can help you recover fair and full compensation for losses such as hospital bills, ongoing medical costs, neonatal treatment, lost wages, permanent disability accommodations, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering. You can count on us to go up against a hospital or practitioner’s insurance provider in pursuit of maximum financial recovery on your behalf.
What Is the Statute of Limitations on a Birth Injury Case in New Mexico?
According to New Mexico’s medical malpractice laws, a personal injury lawsuit filed because of a birth injury has a deadline of the child’s ninth birthday. This statute of limitations applies when a child under the age of seven is harmed by medical malpractice. Adult medical malpractice claims must be brought within three years of the act of malpractice.
Note, however, that if you were a patient at a state-run hospital or public facility at the time that your child suffered the brain trauma, you must initiate your claim with an official notice just 90 days after the discovery of the malpractice. The possibility of missing an important deadline is one of the key reasons why you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Contact Our Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Attorney in Albuquerque Today
At The Fine Law Firm, our local personal injury attorneys understand how frightening and overwhelming this time can be. No parent wants to learn that their child suffered a brain injury at birth. When you contact us, we will make sure that you and your family are heard, taken care of and led effectively through the legal process.
Our law firm has handled hundreds of medical malpractice and birth injury cases in New Mexico. Let us help you understand your legal options in the aftermath of an HIE diagnosis in Albuquerque. Schedule your free consultation today by contacting us online or calling (505) 889-3463.