A recent investigation by USA TODAY revealed shocking information about birth complications for mothers in the United States. In fact, one of the articles claims that 1 in 8 hospitals have complication rates that are double the norm. Or, as USA Today asserts, “America is the most dangerous place in the developed world to give birth.”
Assigning Guilt in Tragedy
Interestingly, hospitals often blame mothers when serious childbirth complications occur, and blame tragic disabilities, injuries, and fatalities on the mother’s poverty level or pre-existing medical conditions. But the facts show that this misdirection is also misleading, and that the problem is not as simple as blaming the mothers. Instead, data, medical records, and lawsuit filings often show a complicated mix of misdiagnoses, unnecessary delays in care, and a general failure to follow established safety protocols.
A Question of Misconduct
According to USA TODAY reporters Alison Young, John Kelly, and Christopher Schnaars, “With national childbirth harm numbers soaring – 700 women dying every year, 50,000 more injured – a focus on hospitals with the highest rates could provide a road map to improvement. Studies have found half of mothers’ deaths and severe injuries could be prevented or reduced with better medical care.”
What is most disturbing, however, is that this critical information is kept secret from the public. That secrecy protects the hospitals and doctors, but deprives mothers, and the public, from vital information that can answer the most important question: “where can I safely deliver a baby?” This secrecy also stops hospitals with complication rates from improving their practices or taking steps to prevent and reduce birth-related injuries.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Contact the Colorado Springs medical malpractice attorneys at Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C. if you or a loved one has been harmed by the actions of a negligent medical professional. We can investigate your case, identify a negligent party, and litigate against hospital legal teams to secure a reasonable settlement or verdict that accounts for your personal, physical, and financial hardships.
Contact Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C. at (719) 625-3310 to discuss your case with a qualified legal representative.