Forceps Injuries

Forceps are used to help extract a baby from the mother during a difficult delivery. The forceps are applied to the baby's head and then the doctor applies traction as the mother pushes during a contraction. Typically, forceps are used when the baby is in distress, the mother is exhausted from a lengthy labor, the mother is having problems as a result of drug-related inhibition (i.e. epidural or spinal anesthesia) or the mother is in distress due to illness such as heart disease, hypertension, etc. While the use of forceps can result in a successful delivery, if they are not used correctly, they can result in significant injury to both mother and child. Forceps present the following risks to the baby:

• Facial nerve damage
• Cerebral Palsy
• Erb's Palsy or brachial plexus injuries
• Brain damage
• Skull fractures
• Spinal injuries

For the mother, the risks include severe lacerations, shock caused by excessive blood loss, rectum injuries, bladder injuries, intrapartum rupture of the uterus as well as others.

If you suspect you or your child has been the victim of a birth injury due to the improper use of forceps, it is critical for you to seek prompt legal advice from a qualified medical malpractice lawyer. For more than 80 years, the attorneys at the Law Offices of John Day have represented parents and children for birth injuries. John Day is board-certified in Medical Malpractice by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. Because of his wealth of experience, he has repeatedly testified before the Tennessee Legislature regarding Tennessee's medical malpractice laws. To assist with medical questions and issues, we employ a nurse on staff full-time, and our medical malpractice attorneys have access to highly-qualified and sophisticated experts and doctors to help prepare and win your case.

We handle all forceps injury birth cases on a contingency basis. In other words, we do not get paid unless we recover money for you. Most medical malpractice cases are extremely expensive to pursue.  The expenses often range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  At the Law Offices of John Day, we advance those case expenses so you do not have to pay a penny out of pocket to pursue compensation.  For more information on our fees and how we handle case expenses, click here.

If we tell you have a valid medical malpractice claim, we will pursue it aggressively and insist upon the justice you and your family deserve. And, we know to get the results that will make a difference for your baby's future. We have recovered more than $100 million dollars for our satisfied clients, and we would like to help you and your family too. If you would like to discuss a potential claim, please contact us online or call us at 615-742-4880 or 866.812.8787 for a free, no-obligation consultation.