Welcoming a baby into the world is an unparalleled moment for parents. Each pregnancy is filled with joyful anticipation and, of course, some worry about possible complications.
While many mothers do not experience complications during their pregnancy, some face difficult medical situations. Some can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention for the health of both mother and child.
Preeclampsia is one of these conditions. Without quick medical care, the condition can lead to serious birth injuries or even death of the mother and/or baby. If you suspect you suffered from undiagnosed or mistreated preeclampsia, remember that you have options.
What is Preeclampsia?
Preeclampsia involves high blood pressure and can damage the kidneys and other organs. In most cases, preeclampsia begins at or around the twentieth week of pregnancy. And, while high blood pressure is a common symptom, it can begin despite normal blood pressure numbers—which is one of the reasons preeclampsia is so dangerous to both mother and baby.
When left untreated, serious complications can arise. If this is the case, you may be able to file a suit against the health care provider and hold them accountable for injuries to you or your child.
What are the Symptoms of Preeclampsia?
Some symptoms of preeclampsia may not raise red flags right away. The more common symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Body aches
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
Still, your medical provider has the responsibility to determine whether your symptoms are common pregnancy occurrences or the signs of preeclampsia. If they suspect preeclampsia, they should quickly address the complication to ensure your and your child’s health.
If preeclampsia has gone undiagnosed or was diagnosed at a time when the complications had become more severe, your rights may have been violated.
How Do You Know if Your Doctor Was Responsible?
If you or a loved one experienced preeclampsia during pregnancy, and the baby was diagnosed after birth with cerebral palsy, a brain injury or other serious organ damage, the injury may have occurred as a result of the medical team being negligent in failing to diagnose and treat the preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia that is properly diagnosed and treated should never result in a pregnant woman’s death. Death due to preeclampsia requires an immediate investigation by an experienced trial lawyer to determine if negligence occurred.
As a preeclampsia patient, you have the right to a certain standard of care. If you feel the doctors and nurses treating you were negligent in handling the preeclampsia case for you or someone you love, you may have grounds for a malpractice claim.
To determine whether your doctor was negligent in providing the standard of care you deserved during pregnancy and childbirth, it’s best to seek counsel from a qualified medical malpractice attorney. They will gather facts about your case and help you determine whether preeclampsia complications were the fault of your medical provider.
We know that struggling with preeclampsia complications can have long-lasting physical, emotional, and financial impacts. The team at Hurley McKenna & Mertz has helped many families seek justice and win well-deserved compensation for medical malpractice.
