One of the most common injuries newborn babies can suffer during their delivery is a fracture to their clavicle (collarbone). Fractures to a newborn’s collarbone may occur during a strenuous childbirth. As the child exits the birth canal, his or her shoulders may become stuck on the mother’s pubic bone, requiring force to be freed. If the doctor uses too much force with their hands or forceps, a fracture may occur.
A severely injured collarbone may have lasting impacts on a child’s development. A misdiagnosed clavicle fracture may lead to:
Complications may result in the child needing surgeries to repair the damage. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis occurs far too often and many children are left with permanent injuries.
If you notice symptoms such as your child holding one of their arms against their body or refusing to move the arm, it may be a sign your child is suffering with a broken collarbone. Other symptoms of a broken clavicle include the child showing pain if picked up under the arms or a hard lump forming where the bone is healing.
A child suffering with a broken clavicle may need to have the arm immobilized to prevent the discomfort. While the fracture may eventually heal on its own, a misdiagnosed fracture in a newborn’s clavicle may lead to severe consequences. Severe complications may prevent your child from living a normal childhood or affect their ability to earn a living into adulthood.
The medical bills and hospital expenses associated with treating a newborn child’s fractured clavicle may become very expensive.
Fractured clavicles and the complications associated with them may occur due to medical malpractice and misdiagnosis on the part of your doctor. The law holds physicians to a reasonable standard of care. If doctors are unable to practice medicine to this level of care and other are injured because of this lapse, the law gives the injured victims and their families legal remedies.
The Cochran Firm, D.C. has a team of experienced attorneys and legal professionals ready to provide aggressive, skilled legal representation. Our attorneys know what to look for when investigating birth injuries and medical malpractice. Our attorneys can help you recover for your child’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, and any loss of life’s enjoyments if they suffered serious complications due to a fractured clavicle during delivery.
We offer free, prompt, and confidential case reviews. We represent our clients on a contingency basis, so there are no legal fees unless we recover for you. Call us locally during business hours at 202-682-5800 or our 24/7 legal hotline at 1-800-THE-FIRM (843-3476). You may also fill out a contact form here on our website. There are strict time deadlines when filing a birth injury lawsuit so please contact us at your earliest convenience and preserve your child’s rights.
