Minneapolis Jaundice Lawyer
This common condition affects over a quarter-million Americans every year. Nearly all of these victims are infants and newborns. Preterm infants are especially at risk for a high bilirubin level in their blood. Excess bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia) is a relatively mild liver disease. But the possible complications are severe. These complications include acute bilirubin encephalopathy, a low-grade yet permanent brain injury, and kernicterus, a more severe bilirubin-related brain injury which is often fatal.
If the medical staff responds to jaundice quickly and effectively, the condition often dissipates rather easily. But a delayed reaction could be extremely costly, because of the aforementioned brain injury possibilities. Frequently, signs of jaundice do not appear until several hours after delivery. By that time, many medical staffers believe they are out of the woods and their jobs are largely over. So, they let their guard down. The duty of care is so high in these cases that any lapse usually constitutes medical negligence.
In contrast, the diligent Minneapolis jaundice lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman never let their guard down and never relent until the job is done. We are constantly alert for new and important developments in your case. These developments could be judicial opinions in matters unrelated to your claim. Furthermore, our job is to obtain maximum compensation in these cases. Families need this compensation to carry on with their lives. Additionally, they deserve it because of what they have been through.
Why Should I File a Birth Injury Claim?
If a legal claim simply “blamed” a doctor for a medical mistake, there would be no reason to pursue such action. Pointing fingers benefits no one after the injury has occurred. Furthermore, no judge, and no human for that matter, has the power to turn back the clock and reverse a crippling birth injury.
But a legal claim does not assign blame. Instead, as mentioned, a legal claim is the only means to obtain compensation for injuries. The lifelong medical costs of a severe brain or spine injury could be several million dollars. The idea that the family should pay these costs, or the government should be responsible for them, is offensive.
Compensatory damages are only part of the picture. To force doctors to fully accept responsibility for their mistakes, additional punitive damages are usually necessary. Money is the only language that most insurance companies speak. Unless jurors award significant punitive damages in birth injury claims, nothing will change, and other families may go through the same nightmare.
Resolving a Birth Injury Claim
Typically, a Minneapolis jaundice lawyer is able to settle these claims out of court. Frequently, settlement occurs during mediation.
Mediation, which normally occurs toward the end of the legal claims process, is basically a court-supervised negotiation session. The mediator is the court’s representative. As such, the mediator ensures that both parties negotiate in good faith. This duty is basically twofold. The parties must present reasonable settlement offers and counter-offers. Furthermore, they must be willing to make some compromises, if that’s what it takes to reach an agreement and avoid trial.
Largely because of the additional good faith negotiation requirement, mediation is usually successful.
Connect with a Savvy Hennepin County Lawyer
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced jaundice lawyer in Minneapolis, contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman LLC by going online or calling 612-473-0905. You have a limited amount of time to act.