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Fetal Death Lawyers in Jackson, MS
Helping You Through the Unimaginable
Pregnancy is a sensitive time for both mother and child. If anything goes wrong, the pregnancy can end in birth injury or stillbirth (fetal death). The pain of losing a child is unimaginable, and if the death is caused by someone else’s negligence, the suffering can be even worse. Whether your child was the victim of a traffic accident or substandard medical care, our attorneys at ‘MAGGIO LAW can help.
Call us at (601) 265-6869 to learn more about what we can do for you during this difficult time.
What Is Fetal Death?
Fetal death refers to the intrauterine death of a fetus at any time during pregnancy. Depending on when the loss occurs, fetal death may also be called miscarriage (the loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy) and stillbirth (the loss of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States each year. Sometimes stillbirths occur without a known cause (unexplained stillbirth), but other times, mothers know exactly what went wrong.
Factors That Contribute to Stillbirth
Often, fetal death is a result of unavoidable complications during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Still, external factors can cause or contribute to the death of a child.
Possible causes of stillbirth can include:
Falling down a flight of stairs or getting in a car accident can put your baby’s life at risk, but so can certain medications and the care you receive from your doctor.
If you had an accident before losing your child or have concerns about your medical providers, our Jackson stillbirth lawyers can help.
Preventing Fetal Death With Medical Care
The healthcare you receive before and during your pregnancy can have a tremendous impact on its outcome. Some stillbirth-causing complications can be diagnosed and treated before they affect your baby’s health. If you have problems with your placenta, for example, a good doctor might recommend bed rest, and doctors should always address maternal health conditions before or during pregnancy.
Your doctor should always treat or keep an eye on the following conditions and infections before or during pregnancy:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Lupus
- Thyroid disorders
- Problems with the placenta or umbilical cord
- Previous pregnancy complications
- Multiples (twins or triplets)
- Age (pregnancies are riskier before age 20 or after 35)
- Drug or alcohol addiction
- Herpes
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Listeriosis (food poisoning)
- Toxoplasmosis
Good healthcare can prevent stillbirth. The sooner your doctor addresses a problem, the less likely it will affect your child. If you get your blood pressure under control before getting pregnant, for instance, it is unlikely to lead to fetal death.
When your doctor fails to identify and treat infections, complications, and other conditions promptly, and your child pays the price, you are entitled to compensation and justice.
Wrongful Death of a Fetus
Trauma and injuries are another leading cause of fetal death. If you experienced an accident before experiencing a stillbirth, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Under Mississippi law and legal precedents, an unborn child is considered a person.
As such, you can hold at-fault drivers and other negligent parties responsible for their death.
Situations that may justify wrongful death for a fetus include:
- Driving under the influence
- Texting while driving
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Failing to yield
- Drowsy driving
- Wet or slippery floors
- Uneven surfaces
- Hazardous conditions
- Negligent security
- Failure to warn
- Undisclosed drug side effects
- Automotive defects
- And more
Negligence in wrongful death suits can span multiple practice areas.
Fortunately, ‘MAGGIO LAW handles all sorts of personal injury cases and can help you recover no matter what you are facing.
Determining Liability for Fetal Death
If you lost your unborn child, we send you our deepest condolences. We also know you might be wondering what went wrong. Our attorneys can help you access special tests to determine the cause of death. With an autopsy and a full investigation of any accident or negligent healthcare you experienced, we can help you determine liability in your case.
Even if your provider did everything right, they should still check your baby, the placenta, and the umbilical cord after any stillbirth. Failure to do so can jeopardize future pregnancies, and if your doctor does not want to know what happened, they might have something to hide.
If your instincts say something is wrong – it probably is. Do not hesitate to contact us with any legal questions or concerns you may have.
Get Started Today
Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, and in many cases, fetal death is preventable. If your doctor would have adhered to the standard of care or that drunk driver would just have called a cab, your baby would still be alive.
Our team at ‘MAGGIO LAW does not stand for this kind of injustice – and neither should you.
Call us at (601) 265-6869 or contact us online to discuss your legal options during a free consultation.
We are so sorry for your loss, and we sincerely hope we can help you balance the scales of justice once again.