Having a baby should be an exciting time, but unfortunately, the delivery process doesn’t always go smoothly. In some situations, birth injuries occur, which can really change how you wind up raising your child. Every child’s birth is different, and the sad truth is that birth injuries are even more common than you’d think. From cerebral palsy to complications with your child’s hearing due to spinal injuries, not every birth is straightforward.
Just as there are essential things to know about life insurance, it’s just as important to know what your health insurance covers in terms of birth injuries that your child may sustain during the delivery process. That’s why having a gameplan just in case of a birth injury can be vital to keeping calm during the highly emotional few days following the revelation that medical malpractice may have had something to do with your child’s health. Here are a few tips to consider as you navigate a birth injury as a new mother or father.
Retain the legal counsel of a professional as soon as possible
If you’re facing a birth injury, it’s critical to talk to a lawyer as soon as you can. Navigating the legal system is difficult enough normally, and especially when you’re facing the repercussions of a tumultuous birth, having a reputable birth injury attorney can be of the utmost importance. Beyond providing you with great legal counsel, a birth injury attorney will be able to understand how local laws and guidelines apply to your newborn’s condition and how the childbirth went.
Particularly in a situation where you’re dealing with your life insurance company or health insurer, having a good lawyer can be a major benefit. The right lawyer will be able to work with your insurance company and help you get the verdict that you’re looking for, perhaps even getting some financial benefits to address the brain damage or brain injury the congenital disability may have caused. It’s best to go with a local lawyer who knows the ins and outs of birth injury cases in your area, so if you live in Cook County, researching a Chicago birth injury lawyer can be helpful. The internet makes it easy to find a birth injury lawyer in Chicago, giving you the ability to read reviews and schedule a free consultation to learn about how you can be compensated for medical malpractice and negligence.
Talk to your insurer to see what you can meet long-term needs through insurance benefits.
Beyond working with a reliable legal professional, it’s a good idea to see if your insurance company can provide you with the appropriate medical accessories to help address the impact of your child’s injury. While it’s certainly possible for a settlement from winning a lawsuit to give you some form of financial compensation to cover the purchase of these sorts of items, if your insurer can provide continual financial support for these medical devices, it may be more helpful in the long-run.
For example, if your infant’s congenital disability has caused hearing loss, it may make sense to see if your insurance will cover the cost of seeing an audiologist regularly and even getting hearing aids. Not every policyholder will be able to qualify for access to hearing aids to be covered by their insurance policy, so you may need to investigate whether private insurers are worth looking into as well. If you need help navigating your insurance coverage and determining whether you have the right amount of coverage following the diagnosis of a congenital disability, call your insurer to discuss your options.
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