Uterine Rupture Injury Attorneys NJ

Handling Lawsuits for Ruptured Uterus Birth Injuries and Deaths

Uterine ruptures, though rare, happen before or during labor when the uterine walls tear and rip open, commonly from a vaginal delivery attempt after a cesarean or induced labor by Pitocin or other cervical treatment drugs to quicken labor. A ruptured uterus is an emergency that requires a doctor’s immediate action to save the lives of the mother and baby.

Without appropriate medical intervention, a woman in labor and her child may be left to suffer the tragic consequences of severe injuries that could last a lifetime. In some cases, surviving loved ones have to mourn the loss of a mother who died from excessive maternal bleeding or a baby who suffered oxygen deprivation for too long. When you or a loved one experiences injuries or losses due to negligently handled labor and delivery involving uterine rupture, seeking out the most qualified, informed legal guidance you can find is important, as you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Our team of birth injury attorneys handles every aspect of uterine rupture claims on behalf of those injured and their families across New Jersey. We also consult on these cases nationwide. Contact us today at 866-708-8617 for a free consultation to learn more about how we can assist you.

What Makes Uterine Rupture More Likely

Aside from scarring from a prior cesarean birth and medications, uterine ruptures are more likely for those who have carried multiple children before, underwent uterine surgery previously, had various births, had too much amniotic fluid, malpresentation of the baby, or had past-term pregnancies.

One cause of uterine rupture is the pressure from powerful uterine contractions caused by medications. Cervical ripening and labor-inducing drugs, such as Pitocin and other synthetic prostaglandins, cause the cervix to relax so it can dilate for the baby to exit the birth canal. Prostaglandins are the chemicals the body produces to cause cervical ripening or softening.

When a woman’s body is not producing enough prostaglandins, healthcare providers may introduce synthetics to speed up labor progress or induce labor. Too much of it or too long a trial of it can cause one’s uterus to rupture since strong contractions typically follow the use of cervical ripeners. It can also harm or even cause the death of the baby.

Potential Warning Signals of Uterine Rupture

With the mother’s history in mind, a physician overseeing labor and delivery may become suspicious when symptoms of a rupture become apparent. Granted, symptoms of sharp pain, bleeding, and nausea may be due to multiple causes, but a physician should be keenly aware that these symptoms may signal a rupture about to occur or one that already happened. In any event, a medical professional should not ignore possible uterine rupture symptoms.

Signs of a ruptured uterus include the baby’s slowed or irregular heartbeat over a long period or sudden lack of fetal activity and movement. When a physician monitoring the fetus notices the heart rate deceleration, they should suspect a uterine tear in progress. Another sign of uterine rupture is the pregnant woman’s pink-tinged urine, indicating blood caused by the child’s head impinging on the bladder or by a catheter for draining urine. Additionally, heavy bleeding during labor could indicate a problem more severe than usual bleeding from labor.

The rupture may be apparent from the unusual abdominal shape, like a funnel, which is a clue that the uterus may have torn open. The patient’s abdominal area may also be distended from an excess of amniotic fluid. The mother herself may show that something unusual is happening. Many women experience high anxiety from a sense of impending tragedy. When that is not an ordinary condition for them, a physician might suspect trouble with the pregnancy and delivery. Mothers may also experience building pressure and bulging in the stomach area. This sensation could be the buildup of collapsing uterine walls.

Along with various sensations, a woman may feel the effects of a fast heartbeat, low blood pressure, cold skin, loss of conscious awareness, and rapid breathing, all signs of shock. In other cases, the woman may excessively vomit and experience nausea, along with excessive pain, abnormal contractions, and other symptoms as signs of a rupture. Although abdominal pain is a typical labor symptom, a sudden, extremely sharp pain that does not let up may be an indicator of a ruptured uterus. A woman would feel the difference between a contraction and the intense pain of a uterine rupture.

Similarly, powerful and lengthy contractions may be a sign that the uterine walls are under great pressure and may rupture. Labor may slow, contractions subside, and the emerging child may recede when the uterus is no longer contracting to squeeze them down the birth canal. Finally, sharp back pain that does not ease with movement or rest is yet another sign of a possible uterine rupture.

Permanent Damage and Injuries Caused by Uterine Rupture

A uterine rupture can result in the death of the mother or baby, or both. Severe blood loss may result in death if a hysterectomy or surgical repair does not stem blood. She may suffer infection and severe anemia, leading to death. The baby may also die due to hypoxia and oxygen deprivation or survive with brain damage.

When the uterine contents empty in the mother’s abdomen, accompanied by severe blood loss, the child’s blood supply and oxygen severely lessens. The result is often a condition called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which leaves a child born with oxygen deprivation with cognitive deficiencies, developmental delays, and often cerebral palsy. These children typically need lifelong special care.

Immediate Medical Action to Prevent Injuries from a Ruptured Uterus and Examples of Malpractice

Once a complete uterine rupture occurs, a doctor must act immediately, preparing to surgically remove the baby and scope the abdominal region with a laparotomy and surgically repair the uterus. A hysterectomy may be necessary to stop the bleeding. The healthcare team must work furiously to resuscitate the mother and the baby, if applicable, or repair any damage to the baby.

Medical negligence may play a role in a uterine rupture’s disastrous outcome. Though symptoms may be too general to pinpoint a rupture immediately, uncontrolled bleeding and fetal distress may be enough for a physician to promptly perform a cesarean delivery that could save the child from severe consequences like brain damage.

Diagnosis may be difficult in advance, but knowing the patient’s history with risk factors for a rupture, coupled with symptoms that may suggest a rupture, can assist a physician in deciding the necessity for surgical removal of the baby in a timely manner. Waiting too long to act can mean death. A physician who ignores signs and continues to allow a labor to go on for too long or proceeds with administering Pitocin without noticing problematic symptoms may also be deemed medically negligent.

Do You Have a Medical Malpractice Claim for Uterine Rupture in NJ?

Proving a doctor’s negligence may be difficult without an attorney and a medical expert reviewing the medical records and accounting for what occurred in the delivery room. However, a complete investigation is necessary to support a medical malpractice claim for the health and financial damages of the mother and baby. It is also the foundation for a wrongful death case.

When a woman dies in childbirth due to a ruptured uterus, surviving family members may file a wrongful death lawsuit against those who caused the loss, such as the deceased’s obstetrician, healthcare team members, or even a monitoring device manufacturer. A spouse or partner may claim damages for losing their companion and mother of their child or children due to flawed medical care.

A monetary award may not bring back the life you had before the tragic loss of life or health for you, the mother of your child, or your baby, but you may be able to care for a child with substantial medical, educational, therapeutic, and life adaptation needs and otherwise move on in an economically sound position with more peace of mind that medical negligence did not go unnoticed or unaccounted for. Getting the compensation you need and deserve is your legal right if uterine rupture malpractice caused you or your family physical, emotional, and economic suffering.

Speak to a New Jersey Uterine Rupture Lawyer about Your Case

Whether you are the spouse or partner of the deceased mother, parents of the deceased baby, an injured mother who experienced harm from a ruptured uterus, or your child suffered birth injuries due to medical negligence with uterine rupture, it is highly advisable to speak with  to a medical malpractice attorney. Consulting with our talented team of New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers who specifically concentrate on prenatal, labor and delivery, and post-delivery malpractice claims for injured mothers and children will clarify the questions you may have, the investigation that needs to be undertaken to find when, where, and how medical negligence occurred, and how to prove it.

You can rest assured that while you heal from physical and emotional wounds from faulty care with uterine rupture, our attorneys will conduct an extensive investigation to verify fault and damages, the foundations for a medical malpractice claim, and ensure that you receive compensation for all of your physical harm, medical expensive, financial losses, and pain and suffering. Contact us online or by calling 866-708-8617 to discuss your uterine rupture case. We can provide you with a free consultation, review your case, and assist with determining your possible legal avenues toward recovering compensation.