What is OB/GYN Malpractice – And How Does it Occur?

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If you’re expecting a baby, this is more than likely an exciting time for you and your loved ones. Despite your family’s excitement over the new arrival, pregnancy is far from an easy experience. Unfortunately, there is a lot that can go wrong and when it does, it leaves many expectant parents wondering if what they experienced was the result of negligence. Learn more below. 

What is OB/GYN Malpractice?

Legally speaking, OB/GYN malpractice occurs when an obstetrician or one of their staff fails to perform the minimum standard of care accepted within the medical community. In order to know what could go wrong, it’s important to establish what these professionals do in the first place. A gynecologist is a medical professional who handles all areas of a woman's reproductive health. An obstetrician, on the other hand, is someone who handles all aspects of a woman’s pregnancy from the moment a woman discovers she’s pregnant to shortly after she gives birth. An OB/GYN is trained to handle all of these aspects, including delivering a baby. How the medical professional or their staff reacts to complications before, during and after the pregnancy are crucial to determining whether OB/GYN malpractice occurred. 

What Are Some Common Examples of OB/GYN Malpractice?

While there are many examples of OB/GYN malpractice, below are some of the most common:

• The medical professional used forceps improperly during the delivery
• The medical professional failed to recognize a complication with the umbilical cord
• The medical professional failed to discover an ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilized egg attaches somewhere other than the lining of the uterus, usually within the fallopian tube)
• The patient underwent an unnecessary surgical procedure 
• The medical professional failed to perform a C-section in a timely fashion or did the C-section improperly
• The medical professional failed to discover prenatal conditions such as Huntington Disease, Cystic Fibrosis or sickle cell anemia
• Bowel perforation
• Failed tubal ligation (when a woman becomes pregnant after undergoing a procedure to get tubes tied)

Medical negligence can have catastrophic consequences for both mother and child, sometimes leading to brain injuries and other conditions such as Erb’s Palsy or Cerebral Palsy, as well as spinal cord damage, internal bleeding and uterine infections. In one of the worst of OB/GYN malpractice cases, women may suffer a loss of their ability to reproduce. 

This is one of the main reasons as to why OB/GYN malpractice is one of the most common forms of medical malpractice that occurs. According to a survey that was conducted, approximately 85% of the OB/GYNs that were included in the survey (4,000 in total, across multiple different specialities) were involved in a medical malpractice case. These numbers are startling and they go to show just how common these types of preventable tragedies are. If you or someone in your family suffered as a result of a woman’s health doctor in New Jersey, the medical malpractice attorneys at the Epstein Law Firm, P.A. can help. Schedule a consultation with us today to discuss your options. 

Contact A Rochelle Park Medical Malpractice Lawyer To Discuss Your OB/GYN Malpractice Case In New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to medical malpractice in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at the Epstein Law Firm, P.A. represents clients injured because of medical malpractice in Paramus, Paterson, Hackensack, Ridgewood, Mahwah, Montvale, Teaneck, Fort Lee and throughout New Jersey. Call 201-231-7847 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 340 West Passaic Street Rochelle Park, NJ 07662.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.