When a birth injury occurs, families experience emotional and financial burdens that can seem relentless. In addition to processing trauma, arranging ongoing medical care, and adjusting life plans, monetary pressures pile up quickly.
If negligence appears to have factored into the incident, pursuing a legal case may help recover damages. But the uncertainty around settlement amounts or jury awards can feel daunting during an already devastating time.
Gaining clarity into realistic expectations for birth injury case compensation can restore some sense of control when other parts of life seem chaotic.
Key Factors That Impact Settlement Amounts
Every birth injury case is unique in terms of specific diagnosis, severity, and life impact. But some overarching factors shape what settlement offers materialize:
- Level of long-term care required – More severe birth injuries causing lifelong disabilities warrant higher damages to cover substantial care costs. Cases resulting in a child’s death fetch even greater awards.
- Economic damages calculable – Documented medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and more substantiate a request for higher compensation.
- Lasting impacts – Injuries affecting quality of life long-term, reducing life expectancy, or impairing milestones like education or employment potential can bolster a case.
- Clear negligence – If glaring errors by medical staff contributed directly to the injury, it strengthens the case and settlement value.
Thoroughly investigating your child’s injury with legal representatives helps establish these value drivers – and negotiate firmly with insurance companies.
Recent Birth Injury Settlement Amounts and Awards
To understand realistic settlement ranges, examining cases won by other families can prove useful:
- A $45 million settlement was awarded to a child who suffered severe brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy due to medical errors during delivery.
- A family received a $14.6 million settlement for wrongful death of their baby resulting from failures to test for and treat jaundice.
- A $10.1 million settlement was won for a child’s permanent brachial plexus injury causing disabling arm paralysis due to improper use of birthing tools.
While monetary settlements can never make up for the injury itself, funds secured will provide stability and resources for the child’s future care – an empowering step families can take during an otherwise powerless time.
Consulting Legal Counsel About Expected Value
Remember, settlement offers made by insurance companies will always be below actual case value to secure favorable terms for themselves. Having aggressive legal representation levels the playing field during negotiations.
Most personal injury lawyers provide free initial case assessments and can map comparable cases, estimates and expectations tailored to your situation. This creates clarity around what settlement goals are viable, preventing families from leaving money on the table out of uncertainty.
While no dollar amounts erase the anguish experienced, arming yourself with insights into precedents, valuation methods and negotiation strategies provides families facing devastating birth injuries direction during overwhelming times.
FAQs:
What is the Average Settlement Range for Mild Injuries?
For less severe injuries, recent settlements reached around $500K to $3 million.
How Long Do These Cases Usually Take?
Timeframes vary drastically but complex birth injury lawsuits often take 2-3 years from injury date until settlement.
What Costs are Considered in a Settlement?
Damages include medical bills, lost income, rehabilitation, specialized equipment, in-home nursing care and more.
Jessica has a flair for writing engaging blogs and articles. She enjoys reading and learning new things which enables her to write different topics and fields with ease. She also strives to break down complex concepts and make them easy for anybody to comprehend.
