How Much Compensation Can You Claim in a Birth Injury Lawsuit?

Preventable birth injures resulting from the negligence of doctors, nurses, or other health care providers can have devastating and, in some cases, life-altering consequences. In addition to profound and emotional losses, many victims and families can find themselves facing exorbitant costs related to the medical care and future needs their child will require as they age. Because birth injuries can have such an overwhelming financial impact on families, fair compensation always becomes a priority when they pursue civil lawsuits.

At Goodman Acker, P.C., our Detroit birth injury lawyers are passionate about protecting the rights of birth injury victims. By leveraging nearly a century of combined experience and utilizing our resources and professional connections with medical experts, we fight to ensure at-fault medical providers are held accountable for their negligence, and liable for the damages victims suffer.

When we speak with families facing the difficulties of birth injuries, we often hear concerns and questions about the value of their case. “How much is my claim worth?” is a common and warranted question. However, it can be difficult to answer. This is because every case is unique, and its impact on victims and families will always be different. In short, the answer to this question is “it depends.” Still, we work closely with our clients to help them gain a better understanding of their rights and the type of compensation they are entitled to under the law in order to help them learn how compensation in their case works.

Below are examples of recoverable damages in birth injury cases:

• Economic Damages – Birth injuries can result in a number of economic damages, or the financial expenses families will need to bear when their child suffers from some type of injury or condition that requires further medical attention after birth. Depending on the type or severity of injury, newborns may require surgery, cosmetic procedures, extended stays in hospitals, and other accommodations or treatments. These medical needs can quickly add up. Additionally, parents may need to take extended periods of time off work in order to address these issues and care for their child. By pursuing a birth injury lawsuit, negligent health care providers can be held liable for these economic damages.
• Non-Economic Damages – Damages suffered by victims and families are not limited to financial losses alone. In fact, the non-economic damages they suffer – which are the intangible emotional injuries resulting from preventable injuries – can be profound to the point where they forever alter the lives of children and their loved ones. Fortunately, birth injury lawsuits also enable families to recover their non-economic damages, which may include pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of quality or enjoyment of life, and other emotional injuries.
• Future Damages – Future damages play a large role in birth injury cases and compensation. This is because newborns who suffer injuries or disabilities due to negligence can face a lifetime of limitations, medical needs, and various accommodations. As such, our legal team takes the full scope of our victims’ injuries into perspective when calculating reasonable future damages. These may include the costs associated with future medical care, regular doctor appointments, medical devices, and medications children will require as they age. Future damages may also include expenses associated with special accommodations, including physical therapy, speech therapy, schooling, and more. Should injuries be severe enough to limit a child’s ability to work and earn a living as they mature, those lost economic opportunities can also be accounted for as part of future damages.

Our legal team at Goodman Acker, P.C. is committed to helping clients secure the justice they deserve, and to maximizing the compensation they need. Our passion for fighting on behalf of the injured and the wronged has allowed us to secure millions of dollars in compensation for clients since 1994 – and we’re readily available to help victims across the state of Michigan whenever they are in need.

To discuss a birth injury case with a member of our legal team, contact us for a FREE case evaluation.