Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
If your child suffers a birth injury, you probably have many questions. Will your child be okay? Will they need to spend time in the hospital or go through any sort of rehabilitation? What will their recovery period look like?
These are all factors you likely haven’t considered yet, but now you need to quickly figure out what needs to be done. Fortunately, laws can help ease some of the stress and financial burden an unexpected situation like this can present.
In many scenarios, parents who give birth to children with life-altering birth injuries — known as “congenital defects” — can sue the responsible party and recover money for their related medical bills and other expenses with the help of a birth injury lawyer.
Continue reading to learn the different expenses a birth injury lawsuit could take care of:
1. Paying For Your Hospital And Medical Bills
In many cases, medical expenses are the largest part of a medical bills lawsuit. Hospital bills alone can add up quickly. Many hospitals charge patients thousands of dollars for a single day’s stay, and that bill can quickly add up to six figures.
That said, sustaining a birth injury caused by someone else’s negligence can leave you at an incredible loss. The upside is, a birth injury lawyer can help you collect the amount you’ve spent on medical care as part of your damages.
The amount can vary widely depending on your situation and the extent of your injuries. So, try and keep copies of a thorough itemized bill. This will come in handy later when compiling your medical expenses lawsuit.
2. Loss Of Income Compensation
If your birth injury has rendered you unable to work, that income loss can be devastating when you need it most. However, a birth injury lawsuit can help ease the financial burden caused by your inability to work.
Note that you’ll have to prove how much you’ve lost and request that amount in damages.
You may also be able to request that the responsible party cover your future lost income. This can be advantageous if you’re young and just starting a career, or if you’re close to retirement and don’t have much time left to work.
3. Rehabilitation And Care Costs
Hospitals are not the only place you might go to recover from a serious injury. You might also visit a physical or occupational therapist or a specialist’s office for treatment. You may need to hire a home care aide or a nurse to help you during this time.
All these things are part of a medical expenses lawsuit. You should calculate how much you’ve spent on these services and include that amount in your medical expenses lawsuit.
4. Discretionary Damages: Pain And Suffering
Pain and suffering are often referred to as “discretionary damages.” These are additional damages that you can request in a medical expenses lawsuit. They are intended to compensate for a serious injury’s intangible effects.
This can make a huge difference in your overall recovery from the injury.
5. Counseling And Therapy
Injuries can affect people on many different levels. They can cause physical pain, but they can also cause emotional distress. You may be so focused on recovering physically that you don’t have time to deal with your emotions.
A birth injury lawsuit can provide funds for counseling and therapy. This can help you to overcome the emotional trauma of your injury by helping you deal with feelings of guilt, shame, or anger.
In Summary
A medical expenses lawsuit is not the best way to get help after being injured in an accident. You’ll have to meet specific state requirements to file such a suit. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth exploring as an option, especially if you have overwhelming medical bills.
You are well within your rights to hire a birth injury lawyer to help you sue the responsible party and recover money for your related medical bills and other expenses, as listed above.
