Every day, hundreds of thousands of women give birth to newborn children and, thankfully, most of these births go smoothly. Unfortunately, injuries or trauma during birth could leave a mother with PTSD that makes raising her child difficult. Thankfully, lawsuits provide compensation for these types of injuries.

Injuries During Childbirth Are Common

Medical science has improved substantially over the decades and has minimized childbirth injuries. That said, injuries and trauma during childbirth still occur in many women. A survey from January 2015 in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 24 percent of all women who gave birth experienced pain during sex up to a year and a half after having a baby.

Even worse, about 77 percent of all women who gave birth had persistent back pain for a year after their delivery. This type of pain occurs when a mother is injured during childbirth, such as if the child is born improperly or if doctors don’t take proper steps to protect a child during the problematic birthing experience.

Doctors May Be to Blame

Though many birth injuries or trauma are not the fault of anybody, in some situations, a doctor is to blame. For example, the delivering surgeon may neglect to prescribe enough painkiller – or too much – during the birth and cause a multitude of problems. Other doctors may poorly handle the baby in a way that injures the mother or the child at the same time.

In this situation, a mother’s trauma can vary in intensity based on the mistakes caused by the doctor. For example, a small mistake typically won’t trigger a significant concern. However, a bigger error, such as mistaking the birth direction of the baby, can cause a multitude of injuries that are not only traumatic but which can trigger PTSD in many mothers.

PTSD May Result From Some Traumatic Births

Even if birth injuries don’t cause serious issues with the delivery, mothers may experience PTSD or posttraumatic stress disorder. This problem occurs when an individual goes through a very troubling situation, one that leaves a substantial impact on their mental health. Typically, PTSD causes issues such as depression, anxiety, and even flashbacks to the traumatic event.

And PTSD is a problem that requires mental-health treatment to overcome. Without proper care, PTSD may last for years after the initial traumatic event. Even worse, a mother experiencing PTSD may struggle to pay attention to her child or give the child lower-quality care. Thankfully, personal injury lawsuits can help out injured mothers in this situation.

Lawsuits May Help

Mothers struggling to pay for PTSD treatment should seriously consider a personal injury lawsuit. In most states, these cases must be filed within two years of the time of the injury to be successful. So mothers experiencing PTSD troubles and difficulties raising their new child shouldn’t wait too long to file a lawsuit if they want to get compensation for their injuries.

A successful personal injury lawsuit of this type requires evidence showing that the hospital or delivering surgeon caused the trauma that triggered PTSD. A diagnosis of PTSD from a reputable doctor is also necessary for this process. Testimony from attending medical professionals and eyewitness testimony from nurses present during the birth also help.

Legal Help Provides a Useful Guide

Any mother who has PTSD after traumatic childbirth needs to find legal help to overcome her emotional difficulties. So please don’t hesitate to visit our offices at Ringsmuth Wuori PLLC to learn more about your rights and the ways that we can help you overcome this problematic situation. Our experts provide detailed and effective help on many types of personal injury cases.