Was your child injured at birth in Columbus, Ohio, because their doctor made a mistake? Now’s the time to call Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers at (614) 587 8423 for a free consultation. You have the right to file a birth injury lawsuit on your child’s behalf. Working with our experienced Columbus birth injury lawyers can help you maximize your recovery.
Since our opening, our firm has been a passionate advocate for children and families whose lives have been upended by negligent medical care. We stand up to hospitals, negligent OBGYNs, and insurance companies and fight for the best interests of our severely injured clients.
Why Hire Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers if Your Child Suffered a Birth Injury in Columbus, OH
Families of children who’ve been injured at birth trust Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers because we’re honest, reliable, and tenacious legal advocates who fight for justice. We do more for our clients than level the playing field against powerful hospital systems and insurance companies.
When you need help in Columbus, OH, we are the right choice. We offer:
- Our team is backed by 71+ years of combined experience.
- Our case results include hundreds of millions of dollars in personal injury damages.
- Members of our firm are recognized as part of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and hold AV Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubbell.
- Our attorneys have received recognition from Super Lawyers for their professional achievements.
Choose our team to handle your birth injury case and spend time with your family. Help your child get better, and count on our award-winning Ohio trial attorneys to help you secure the top-tier case results you deserve.
There’s no charge for an initial case review with a Columbus personal injury attorney. Contact us to schedule yours today. Members of our office are always ready to take your call.
What Is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury refers to an injury to a child right before they’re born, during labor, or immediately after they’re delivered. While some birth injuries are unavoidable because of high-risk situations, many are caused by costly medical errors.
Some of the most common causes of birth injuries include:
- Failing to listen to a mother’s concerns during labor
- Failing to monitor a baby and/or mother’s vitals – including heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure
- Delayed C-Sections
- Improper use of medical equipment, including vacuums and forceps
- Improper administration of medications, including Pitocin and anesthesia
- Failing to identify that a child is in a breech position in the uterus
- Failing to identify problems with the umbilical cord or placenta
- Inadequate infection control practices
Many of these mistakes stem from inexperience, provider fatigue, understaffed medical facilities, deviations from accepted practices in the labor and delivery specialty, miscommunication between healthcare providers, and poor hospital policies.
Types of Birth Injury Cases We Handle
At Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers, we represent children and families who’ve suffered all types of birth injuries in Columbus hospitals, including:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
- Broken bones
- Shoulder injuries
- Eye injuries
- Facial nerve injuries
- Caput succedaneum
Whether your child is likely to recover from their injury or if it’s something that they’ll have to deal with for the rest of their life, our Ohio birth injury attorneys in Columbus can help you fight to recover compensation for your related medical expenses, lost wages while you care for your child, and emotional distress.
What Are the Potential Long-Term Consequences of a Birth Injury?
It depends on the specific type of birth injury they’ve suffered, the part of the body that’s affected, and the extent of the injury.
However, for severe birth injuries, possible long-term consequences include:
- Limited motor function
- Paralysis
- Seizure disorders
- Speech disorders and delays
- Vision problems or blindness
- Hearing loss
- Ataxia
- Respiratory disorders
- Developmental delays
- Internal organ damage and/or failure
- Increased susceptibility to infections
- Cognitive impairments
Children who face these types of long-term consequences often require extensive medical and nursing care, need years of therapy and rehabilitation, and face challenges in both their personal and professional lives. It’s imperative to consider the financial implications of your child’s birth injury, as well as the harder-to-value struggles and distress they’ll likely endure because of the trauma they’ve experienced.
How Much Could My Child’s Birth Injury Case Be Worth?
More serious birth injuries tend to warrant higher financial awards in related personal injury claims. However, every situation is different. Our birth injury lawyers in Columbus, OH, will consider several factors when assessing what your legal claim might be worth.
Common factors that will be considered include:
- What type of birth injury has your child experienced?
- What’s the likelihood that your child will recover fully?
- How long will your child need to stay in the hospital and/or receive medical attention because of their birth injury?
- Will your child need extra nursing care or assistance as they grow older?
- Will your child likely suffer from any learning disabilities or cognitive impairments because of their birth injury?
- Has your child’s life expectancy been reduced because of their birth injury?
- Will you suffer a loss of income because you miss work to care for your child?
Our team will collaborate with respected experts – including medical professionals and vocational specialists – who can provide important insight into your child’s specific situation. We’ll work to understand the financial costs you’re likely to have because of the birth injury, as well as the struggles your child may experience as a victim.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded in a Columbus Birth Injury Case?
As the plaintiff in a birth injury lawsuit in Ohio, you’ll be able to request economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are intended to cover the financial consequences of your child’s birth injury, and typically include money for:
- Hospital stays, corrective surgery, medication, medical devices, and other current medical bills
- Specialist consultations, rehabilitation and therapy, prosthetics, and other future medical expenses
- Your lost wages while you care for your injured child
- Your child’s reduced earning capacity
- Disability
- Out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel and lodging for medical care
- Costs to modify your vehicle or home to accommodate your child’s birth injury or resulting disability
- Nursing care and assistance
Non-economic damages are designed to help your child and your family deal with the harder-to-value consequences of a birth injury, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Chronic physical pain
Punitive damages may also be on the table if there’s clear and convincing evidence during the trial that the medical provider or hospital acted with malice, attempted to fraudulently conceal the medical error, or was grossly negligent.
What Does It Cost To Pursue a Birth Injury Case in Columbus?
You don’t have to worry about attorney fees when you hire Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers to handle your birth injury lawsuit. Our medical malpractice attorneys in Columbus handle birth injury cases on a contingency fee basis.
We only get paid when we recover compensation for your family. When we win, our fees are paid out of the financial award we obtain on your behalf. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Birth Injury Claims in Ohio?
Ohio has a one-year statute of limitations that applies to most birth injury cases. The one-year timeframe starts to run on the date the birth injury is inflicted or is discovered. If a claim isn’t brought on a child’s behalf, the statute of limitations may be tolled until the child’s 18th birthday. This effectively gives the child until their 19th birthday to file for damages.
You lose the right to recover compensation if you miss the filing deadline. Once time runs out, you can’t hold the healthcare team or hospital accountable for your child’s medical bills, disability, and distress.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Columbus Birth Injury Lawyer
Birth injuries are inexcusable when they’re the result of avoidable medical negligence in Columbus, OH. You have the right to take legal action against the medical professionals who bear responsibility for your child’s injury. However, taking on a powerful hospital system isn’t easy. Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers can help.
Our Columbus birth injury lawyers are respected litigators with over 71 years of combined experience. We’re known for taking on high-stakes cases and winning millions for our clients. Show the hospital and your child’s medical team that you won’t rest until they’ve made things right by putting our top-rated legal team in your corner.
We offer a free consultation, so contact our Columbus law office today.