If your baby suffered injury or complications from a placental abruption, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a placental abruption lawsuit case or settlement claim. Contact a placental abruption birth injury lawyer to request a free case review.
A team of birth injury attorneys and personal injury lawyers is investigating placental abruption birth injury lawsuit cases and settlement claims involving babies who suffered injury from a placental abruption due to birth related medical malpractice or negligence.
A placental abruption (abruptio placentae) is a birth injury in which the placenta (the organ that grows in the uterus that connects the fetus to the uterine wall via the umbilical cord and provides oxygen and nutrients to the fetus) prematurely pulls aways (either partially or completely) from where it is attached to the uterus (the pear-shaped muscular organ of the female reproductive system where the fetus grows, i.e., the womb). When a placenta breaks or ruptures early, a fetus can be deprived of oxygen and nutrients which can lead to serious injury or death.
Placental abruption occurs in about 0.4–1% of all pregnancies. Placental abruption is one of the most significant causes of maternal morbidity (physical or mental illness or disability directly related to pregnancy and/or childbirth) and perinatal mortality (death of a fetus or neonate).
Placental Abruption Lawsuit Cases
Placental abruption lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims involving babies who, due to possible medical malpractice or negligence, suffered injury or complications from a placental abruption, including:
- Cerebral palsy
- Periventricular leukomalacia
- Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen to baby)
- Lack of nutrients to baby
- Poor blood flow
- Brain damage
- Fetal distress
- Low birthweight
- Premature birth or preterm delivery
- Fetal heart rate abnormalities
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Deficiency of amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios)
- Stillbirth (baby dies in uterus)
- Death
- Other placental abruption injuries
- Other birth injury lawsuits
Complications for or injuries to the mother can also include disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), blood clots, hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock, organ failure, kidney damage, need for blood transfusion, and need for hysterectomy, among others.
There are many risk factors for placental abruption including, but not limited to, smoking, preeclampsia, placenta previa, trauma, history of previous placental abruption, hypertension, cocaine use, infection, chorioamnionitis, thrombophilia, water breaking prematurely, carrying twins or triplets, maternal age, and umbilical cord or uterus problems.
Placental Abruption Medical Malpractice Claims
Placental abruption malpractice lawsuit and settlement claims can include the failure of a doctor or OB-GYN to exercise reasonable care in diagnosing, treating, preventing and/or refraining from causing placental abruption injury including, for example:
- Failure to monitor for placental abruption signs
- Failure to promptly diagnose a placental abruption
- Failure to properly treat placental abruption complications
- Failure to make sure a baby gets sufficient oxygen
- Failure to timely deliver baby via C-section
- Failure to identify and monitor placental abruption risk factors
- Failure to order appropriate tests (ultrasound, blood tests, etc.)
- Failure to follow-up
- Other medical malpractice or negligence claims
Placental Abruption Signs, Symptoms or Complications
Placental abruption signs, symptoms and complications can include, among others:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Lower abdominal pain (belly pain)
- Uterine contractions (labor pains) that don’t relax
- Blood in the amniotic fluid
- Low blood pressure
- Decreased fetal movement
- Decreased fetal heart rate
- Feeling faint
- Enlarged uterus
- Uterine tenderness
- Backache
- Other placental abruption symptoms, signs or complications
Placental abruptions can be categorized by grade: Grade 1 generally includes some vaginal bleeding and uterine contractions; Grade 2 generally includes more bleeding and contractions and some signs of fetal distress; Grade 3 generally includes more severe bleeding and uterine contractions that do not relaxed, as well as abdominal pain, low blood pressure and possible fetal death.
Placental Abruption Treatment
There is no treatment to reverse placental abruption or reattach a placenta that has separated from the wall of a uterus. However, depending on the severity of the separation, the amount of blood loss, location of separation and age of pregnancy, treatment can include, for example, intravenous (IV) fluids, supplemental oxygen, continuous maternal and fetal monitoring, immediate delivery (if fetus is mature or if fetus or mother is in distress, blood volume replacement, blood plasma replacement, and/or emergency C-section (if there is fetal distress).
Time Is Limited To File A Placental Abruption Lawsuit. Connect With a Birth Injury Lawyer.
Deadlines known as statutes of limitation and statutes of repose may limit the amount of time that parents, families and other claimants have to file a placental abruption lawsuit case to try to recover compensation for injuries or complications due to placental abruption.
This means that if a placental abruption lawsuit claim is not filed before the applicable time limit or deadline, the claimant may be barred from ever taking legal action or pursuing litigation regarding the placental abruption birth injury claim. That is why it is important to connect with a placental abruption birth injury lawyer or attorney as soon as possible.
If your child has suffered a birth injury from a placental abruption, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a placental abruption lawsuit or settlement. Contact a placental abruption birth injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If you or your child is experiencing health issues or complications, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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