It is heartbreaking to see a child go through an illness or severe sickness.

It is especially hard for their parents who are tasked with their general well being. But there is only so much one can do as a parent and in many instances, they need to put their trust in pediatricians, nurses and hospital centers. In most situations, this trust is well founded. But there are cases where a mistake is made, an illness is misdiagnosed, or a standard of care has not been met. In these instances, there are steps that a parent or guardian can take to see if they are experiencing a situation with malpractice.

One of the first steps is to get a second opinion.

Seek out a pediatrician that is experienced and that you trust. You may also want to get in touch with a legal firm that is used to looking at pediatric malpractice suits, like Raynes | Erickson. Legal expertise in seeing cases like yours previously could give you some direction.

Depending on the situation, some files could be beneficial for you to have.

If you are wondering if your child’s congenital disability could be from malpractice, you will want to ask to have the delivery and labor files, newborn files, neonatal records, fetal heart monitor readouts as well as any reports from the tests that were conducted on your baby during the pregnancy. You may also want to ask for the child’s APGAR score. This score is the results of tests done on a newborn shortly after they are delivered. The APGAR score covers heart rate, reflex irritability, skin color, muscle tone and breathing.

With this information and with the help of qualified medical and legal professionals, you are better equipped to walk the road of finding support and justice for your child. If you think that your child may have suffered from medical malpractice, please call us at Raynes Erickson today. We would be happy to help you in any way that we can.