Preeclampsia

Tenacious Boston Lawyers Providing Counsel to Families Affected by Birth Injuries

We trust our medical professionals to provide us with the care and attention that we require. For many families, a birth is one of the most celebrated and anticipated events. When a medical professional fails to treat a mother and child with appropriate attention, however, it can quickly turn into a nightmare. One of the most common conditions that pregnant mothers face is preeclampsia. It is also a very serious condition that affects women who recently had a baby. If it is left undiagnosed and unaddressed, the mother can face serious complications, and it can even be fatal for the baby. While your family and you are coping with this unfortunate situation, the last thing that you probably want to handle is navigating the Massachusetts legal system. At Breakstone, White & Gluck, our Boston birth injury attorneys believe that every family deserves dedicated and tenacious legal counsel following an unnecessary birth injury. We can help you with each aspect of your potential claim, including investigating your right to recovery, gathering evidence, and ensuring that you are treated fairly.

Preeclampsia Places Serious Risks on Mother and Child

Preeclampsia can develop at varying stages, but it most commonly arises after the 20^th week of the pregnancy. It can also occur up to four to six weeks after the delivery of the child. There are classic symptoms associated with preeclampsia, meaning that a medical professional rarely has a legitimate excuse for failing to diagnose it and treat it. Some of the symptoms that indicate preeclampsia include high blood pressure, excessive protein in the mother’s urine, sudden weight gain, and excessive swelling around the hands, feet, and face. Other signs include mental confusion, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, abdominal pain under the rib cage, nausea, and vomiting.

There are certain classes of patients who are more susceptible to preeclampsia. These include women experiencing their first pregnancy or women who are carrying multiple babies. If the mother is obese, has diabetes, or has gestational diabetes, her risk is also increased. Finally, there are certain pre-existing medical conditions that make preeclampsia more common, such as kidney disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Medical professionals who work in the labor and delivery field are trained to identify the common signs of preeclampsia and to know how to treat it in a timely fashion.

Assert Your Right to Damages in a Medical Malpractice Action

If your baby or you suffered injuries as a result of a doctor’s failure to diagnose and treat preeclampsia during or after birth, you should bring a medical malpractice claim to recover compensation. In the claim, there are certain elements that your attorney must prove. First, we must show that the physician owed you a duty of care. If you had an established doctor-patient relationship, this element is satisfied. This relationship can arise in many situations, even when a doctor steps in during an emergency to treat a patient. Next, we must show that this doctor did not treat you according to the generally accepted medical practices and protocols that other physicians with similar training and experience in that geographical region would have used. This standard takes into account your existing conditions and symptoms. Finally, we must show that the defendant’s failure to treat you according to this standard was a direct cause of the injuries and damages that your baby and you suffered.

Get Advice From a Birth Injury Lawyer in the Boston Area

Whether you simply have questions about your potential legal rights, or you are ready to pursue legal action, our seasoned team of birth injury lawyers is prepared to assist you. There is no amount of money that can truly make your child or you whole again after experiencing a devastating birth injury, whether it involves preeclampsia, uterine rupture, cerebral palsy, or another condition, but it can address the financial impact of the incident. It can also help you ensure that you obtain the support that your baby will need to address the harm that he or she sustained as a result of this traumatic event. Our attorneys have proudly handled birth injury claims on behalf of families located throughout Boston, Cambridge, Waltham, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, Quincy, Dedham, Norwood, Brookline, Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Plymouth, Worcester, Lawrence, and Springfield. To schedule your free consultation, call us now at 1-800-379-1244 or contact us online.