You may have read the headlines lately about Caroline Malatesta, a woman who fought and won a $16 million verdict against the hospital that delivered her fourth child. Because of the trauma she sustained at the hands of her nurses during the birthing process, she suffered a debilitating nerve condition and a lifetime of pain management ahead. Her story serves as a wake-up call for mothers across the country who also suffered injury during the birthing process, but they suffered silently because they did not know where to turn.
Many women are unaware of the serious injuries that can be sustained in childbirth, many due to medical malpractice like Mrs. Malatesta’s case, and many women’s injuries go undiagnosed and untreated by their physicians. An astounding number of women quietly endure pelvic pain, incontinence, painful sex, and back pain for years after sustaining untreated childbirth injuries.
A recent study by the University of Michigan performed MRIs on 68 women seven weeks after childbirth. The researchers found that 29 percent of these women had pubic bone fractures and 49 percent had tears in their pelvic floor muscles, all of which were undiagnosed by their doctors. A study published in PLoS One showed that of the 1,500 mothers participating in the study, 77 percent dealt with persistent back pain a year after giving birth and 49 percent of mothers were learning to manage the embarrassment of urinary incontinence. Another study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that out of 1,200 women, 24 percent experienced painful sex more than a year and half after delivery. Modern medicine is failing women, often leaving them injured and untreated for a lifetime.
At Kline & Specter, PC, our medical malpractice lawyers are dedicated to fighting the system that allows doctors to leave injuries undiagnosed and untreated. We have recovered millions of dollars for injured victims.
If you suffered severe injuries during childbirth, call the experienced attorneys of Kline & Specter today at 800-243-1100 for a free case consultation. We represent clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and across the nation.
