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What To Do If Your Baby Shows Symptoms of Common Birth Injuries

What is the most common type of birth injury? The most prevalent birth injury is when the brachial plexus nerves get damaged. These nerves control sensation and movement in the arms, and can get injured easily if the baby is coming out of the mother’s birth canal and is pulled with too much force. It is more common in cases where the baby was in a breech position or had a high birth weight. The symptoms for a brachial plexus injury entail paralysis in one arm. If your baby is moving one arm much more than the other, then it may be a sign of damage to the brachial plexus nerves, or Erb’s Palsy. Other symptoms may include: One arm being held against the side of the body in an awkward positionLack of Moro reflex Weaker grip in one hand versus the other I have heard of cerebral palsy, but how do I know if my baby has it? Cerebral palsy is another type of common birth injury, that is usually caused due to a lack of oxygen during delivery. The symptoms can vary depending on how severe the case is, ranging from mild to debilitating. Some symptoms may be noticeable after the child is born, whereas others may take more time to develop as the child ages. If your baby has any of the following symptoms, then it’s time to meet with a doctor other than the one who performed your delivery right away: Head flopping from one side to anotherSeizuresDevelopmental disabilitiesWrithingJerky, uncontrollable movementsDifficulty with balanceChallenges with fine motor skillsPoor coordinationVision problemsOdd stiffness or “floppiness” when holding the babyLegs that tense and cross over each other or make “scissor” movements I think something is wrong with my baby, what should I do? Maybe you just have a weird feeling that something is wrong with your baby. It’s better to get a second opinion from another doctor (not the one who did your delivery), so your child can get an early diagnosis and treatment plan. It is important that you consider speaking with a birth injury attorney in Phoenix, AZ during this time as well, to find out if you may be entitled to financial compensation for the birth injury.  Thanks to Rispoli Law, PLLC for their insight into personal injury claims and what to do if your baby shows symptoms of a birth...
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Damages You Could Seek in a Medical Malpractice Case

Experienced Attorney Sometimes medical malpractice is very blatant and other times it’s true misfortune. In either case, you shouldn’t be left holding the bill if a medical professional’s negligence caused you deeper injury or a more serious illness than you started with. The good news is you can generally receive compensation if you’re suffering after the mistake of your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or other professional. If you are the loved one of someone who suffered medical malpractice and died as a result, you should receive compensation as well to help you pay for the costs that were incurred. What damages can you seek? Special In speaking about quantifiable expenses that were caused by the mistake of your medical professional, they are called special damages. You can seek these as compensation for medical bills and lost wages. Sometimes your lawyer will have to figure out future medical expenses depending on your condition, but you should never forget to include those in the damages you seek. In some cases, the court will require an expert witness to verify costs, and in other cases, the bill speaks for itself. When determining the amount of lost wages to seek, keep in mind everything you’ll lose out on. You probably already lost a handful of paychecks during the time following your injury or illness, but if you have follow up appointments and future medications to pay for, add those to the totals. General It’s hard to determine a definite amount to seek for general damages, as these are things that don’t typically come at a price. For example, loss of consortium, loss of the ability to work, loss of joy, and pain and suffering are all some general damages you can seek. Again, you may need an expert witness who can testify about the consequences that come with your type of injury or illness, but in any case, you will have to give evidence of your losses. Punitive Especially in cases where the medical professional’s malpractice was blatant, you may be able to recover punitive damages. A judge or jury will determine the amount, and it is meant to further punish the defendant for acting recklessly and causing your injuries either willingly or knowingly. Survival If your loved one died due to medical malpractice, you may be able to seek some of these same damages for the time the individual was still alive after...
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Pursuing Legal Action After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis

If you recently received the devastating news that you have developed mesothelioma, know that you may be eligible to pursue compensation from those responsible for your condition. A settlement can make it possible to pay for premium medical treatment and provide for the financial security of your family. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can represent individuals and their families in injury claims and lawsuits. Expert legal teams have recovered substantial settlements for clients whose damages were significant. Many people throughout the United States who were exposed to asbestos during their employment have since developed mesothelioma. Those persons have the legal right to pursue justice against their employers or former employers. Here is some information about the process of filing a lawsuit to recover damages from mesothelioma: Recovering Damages Through a LawsuitWhen a person suffers loss as a direct result of contracting mesothelioma, those losses may translate into thousands of dollars. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer will have a depth of understanding about the medical issues associated with this disease. Even before the individual receives their diagnosis, he or she may be unable to work and lose income as a result. There will likely also be costly medical bills as well as pain and suffering endured. Before moving toward a civil court trial, a mesothelioma lawyer will make every effort to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf. In almost all cases, this is a much faster way to arrive at an equitable resolution and allows the client to receive funds much faster than going through a trial which can last years and end without a verdict in their favor. The amount of money that you may receive from a settlement or a jury award can be unpredictable but is largely based on the amount of damages suffered by the plaintiff. A mesothelioma lawyer can also provide you with an estimated range of compensation awards that you may receive based on the details and strength of your case. Do Not Let the Statute of Limitations ExpireUnlike many other diseases, it may take decades for a person to be diagnosed with mesothelioma because the symptoms can take that long to develop. Unfortunately, each state has a statute of limitations in injury cases. This means that those who are suffering from mesothelioma must file a claim or a lawsuit within a limited amount of time after their diagnosis. Once that deadline has passed, the...
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4 Tips for Preventing Road Rage Accidents

What Is Road Rage? Road rage is one type of aggressive driving. It may manifest itself as tailgating, speeding, obscene language or gestures, or weaving in and out of traffic. A majority of drivers, as high as 80%, admit to experiencing road rage at least once in the last year. If you’ve been driving for very long, you’ve probably been the target of road rage, or you may be guilty of it yourself. Over the last five years, road rage was a contributing factor in approximately half of the fatal crashes in the United States. Road rage may start with or be aggravated by the stress of running late, heavy traffic, and similar triggers. How Do I Avoid Road Rage? If avoiding injury or even death is not incentive enough, road rage accidents may also cost you money, time, and frustration. Here are four tips to help you avoid road rage accidents and all their negative consequences. Don’t hurry or rush. Leave yourself plenty of time to reach your destination. When you’re scurrying about, you’re more likely to engage in risky behaviors like cutting someone off in traffic. If you are running late, remind yourself that arriving late is better than getting into an accident and not arriving at all.Never drive when you are upset or emotional. If you’re already on edge when you get behind the wheel, it won’t take much to aggravate your mood. Take the time to calm down and compose yourself before you drive.Assume the best of your fellow travelers on the road and use courtesy. Remember that the person driving slowly may be lost or elderly, or he or she may be brand new to driving; tailgating can make the driver nervous and cause an accident. Use cheerful, positive gestures such as waving and avoid honking the horn. Avoid stopping to have a confrontation with another driver. Nothing productive ever comes from such arguments, and they can get out of control quickly.Avoid other drivers who are displaying signs of road rage. Change lanes, reduce your speed, or leave the road if you need to get some safe distance between you. The most important thing is to never respond to an angry driver. Don’t make eye contact, and if you think the other driver is following you, lock the doors and find the way to the nearest police station. Where Can I Find Help? If...
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Understanding Child Support

Child support is a court ordered payment that is to be paid for by one parent to the other. The money is meant to be used to raise a child that belongs to both parents. Things like housing, food, clothing, medical care, and schooling should cover some of the child support payments.  When a divorce or separation occurs, a judge may grant sole custody to a parent (the custodial parent) and visitation rights to the other parent (the non-custodial parent). The parent with visitation rights might also be required to pay child support. Child support is not the same as visitation and does not include this time with the child. Even when a parent does not want any contact with the child, a judge can order them to pay child support. The amount of money to be paid is decided by the judge after there is a review of each parents’ income and assets. It is always in a parent’s best interest to have a reputable child support lawyer on their side during any family law matter.  How Child Support Payments Are Determined All states have their own child support guidelines. Most have a formula that will help a judge to determine who will pay the support. There are strict standards as to how much money can be deducted from the paying parents’ income. Bear in mind the child support payments are not the same as alimony payments. Both types can be ordered by the court, and at the same time.  Child Support May Change if Employment Changes In the event that the paying parent loses their job or changes their employment, they are supposed to notify the court. It is possible for a judge to lower or raise the payments according to the paying parents’ situation. If you are paying child support and have recently become unemployed, you should call a child support lawyer as soon as possible for help. Payments are still required; however, a judge can review your situation and help you to avoid any issues regarding non-payment.  Non-Paying Parents To ensure a child is being cared for, there must be sufficient finances. In the event of the non-custodial parent not paying for child support, they could receive penalties from the family court. As a child support lawyer might tell you, the non-paying parent could have their wages garnished, they could lose their professional license, and...
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