Doctors do not know what causes preeclampsia. However, they do know that it can complicate pregnancies and even cause premature delivery. This, in turn, can cause a wide range of birth injuries, including cerebral palsy and vision problems. It can also affect the mother’s liver and kidneys.
Medical malpractice might not cause preeclampsia. However, a doctor can misdiagnose the condition, making its consequences even more serious.
If you or your baby experience complications from this condition in West Palm Beach, FL, Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers can help you pursue compensation under Florida law. Call our West Palm Beach preeclampsia lawyer at (561)-556-7873 for a free consultation.
Table of Contents
How Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Preeclampsia Claim in West Palm Beach, FL
Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers was founded in 1996 to represent injured people in West Palm Beach, Florida, against those responsible for their injuries. Our West Palm Beach birth injury lawyer has over 28 years of experience fighting at-fault parties and their insurers for fair compensation.
If you suffer an injury caused by someone else’s negligent or intentional actions, our firm will provide the following:
- A free consultation to review your case and explain your legal options
- A skilled attorney to file your insurance claim and negotiate for a fair settlement
- An aggressive and experienced litigator to take your case to court if it does not settle
Preeclampsia can cause organ damage to the mother and permanent injury or death to her child. Contact our West Palm Beach birth injury attorney to learn how we can help you fight for your child’s future.
Is Preeclampsia a Common Condition?
Preeclampsia does not happen often. Only about 8% of pregnant mothers encounter a complication that could harm the mother or child without treatment. Preeclampsia only makes up about 8% of all pregnancy complications. Thus, preeclampsia affects 8% of 8%, or about 0.64%, of all pregnancies.
Although this condition is rare, it has an oversized effect on births. Doctors blame about 15% of all premature births on preeclampsia. Between premature birth and the other health problems that can arise from the condition, about 500,000 fetal deaths occur due to preeclampsia.
Unlike other pregnancy complications, preeclampsia also has potentially fatal impacts on maternal health. Statistics suggest that as many as 50,000 mothers die due to the effects of preeclampsia.
Causes and Effects of Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a condition that only affects pregnant women. Although doctors often characterize the condition as high blood pressure during pregnancy, an increase in blood pressure is only a symptom and not the condition itself. Instead, the condition happens when something interferes with blood flow to the placenta.
The placenta makes up the “interface” between the mother and fetus. When it does not get enough blood, the mother’s blood pressure increases, and the fetus’s blood supply drops. In most cases, the increase in blood pressure and drop in blood supply have no long-term effect, and both the mother and fetus undergo normal labor and delivery.
But life-threatening complications can develop. For mothers, the increase in blood pressure can damage organs like the kidneys, liver, brain, and heart. As a result, they may experience seizures, stroke, heart attack, or other health issues during and after pregnancy.
Fetuses face both health and developmental issues, including premature birth and fetal growth restriction. When an infant is born before the 37th week, their body, particularly their nervous system, has not had time to fully develop. They may have cerebral palsy, vision or hearing loss, and breathing difficulties.
Connection Between Preeclampsia and Medical Errors
Preeclampsia does not happen because of medical errors. Scientists do not know how it occurs, but it is a natural condition that has always existed. However, medical errors can play a role in how preeclampsia affects pregnancy in a few ways.
A diagnostic error can happen when doctors do any of the following:
- Diagnose you as healthy when you have preeclampsia
- Misdiagnose you with something else
- Diagnose you as having preeclampsia when you have something else
In all of these cases, you will receive the wrong treatment for your condition. As a result, the condition will advance unchecked, leaving you and your child exposed to potential complications.
A treatment error occurs when a doctor provides incompetent or unskilled medical care. For example, your doctor may correctly diagnose preeclampsia but fail to monitor you as closely as they should or provide recognized treatments.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our West Palm Beach Preeclampsia Attorney
Studies suggest that medical errors may be a leading cause of death in the U.S. When doctors make errors surrounding preeclampsia, they threaten the health of both the mother and child. Contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers at (561)-556-7873 for a free consultation to discuss your preeclampsia-related birth injury and the compensation you can pursue for it.
