Damages for Meningitis

Infectious disorders that impact the brain and spinal cord can trigger the immune system. The result may be inflammation. Diseases and inflammation can result in a range of difficult symptoms like behavioral changes, seizures, headaches, fevers, and confusion. Mothers can pass meningitis to their babies. It is crucial that doctors screen adequately to avoid harm to both a mother and a baby. If you need to recover damages for meningitis that caused harm to your baby, the experienced Syracuse birth injury lawyers of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Attorneys may be able to represent you in a lawsuit for damages.

Bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi can generate infection in the brain. The membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord can become inflamed when infected. This condition is meningitis. If the spinal cord is also inflamed, the condition is called encephalomyelitis. Certain risk factors increase the odds of meningitis including immune-suppression and rheumatological diseases.

Bacterial meningitis is potentially fatal. Sometimes bacteria infect the upper respiratory tract and then move through the bloodstream resulting in stroke, brain damage or hearing loss. There are several different kinds of meningitis; one type is pneumococcal meningitis, which is caused by the bacterium streptococcus pneumoniae. Those under age 2 or who have a weakened immune system are likely to be more at risk and could be at risk for neurological brain damage.

Viral meningitis is typically caused by enterovirus, which move through the mouth and go to the brain. However, other viruses can also cause this type of meningitis.

Meningitis may cause birth injuries when it’s acquired while a baby is in utero or just after his or her birth. A baby who gets meningitis from his mother while she was pregnant and suffered brain damage may have lifelong disabilities or cerebral palsy that affects his learning, movement, and other aspects of daily living for the rest of his life.

In order for our experienced birth injury lawyers to hold a doctor accountable for meningitis that caused you baby’s birth injuries, we’ll need to establish his or her legal liability. This requires us to establish: (1) the defendant health care provider owed you a professional standard of care, (2) the health care provider departed from the professional standard of care, (3) causation, and (4) actual damages. Doctors may depart from the professional standard of care in many ways during pregnancy and just after a baby is born. If an expert believes there is a reasonable causal link between the defendant’s departure from the professional standard of care and the birth injuries your child suffered, we may be able to recover damages on your behalf.

The professional standard of care can vary by geographic location and specialty. We will need to consult an expert even before filing a lawsuit. Under New York law, a certificate of merit attesting to our consultation must be filed with the complaint. Assuming we can establish your case is meritorious, establish liability, and move your case forward, we can recover compensatory damages on behalf of you and your baby. They can include economic losses you incurred such as therapy costs, medical bills, rehabilitation, and lifelong care for the baby. Damages can also include compensation for noneconomic losses like pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life.

Meningitis can be fatal if it’s not detected and treated right away. If your loved one was a pregnant woman who died because of medical malpractice related to meningitis, you should give our lawyers a call about a potential wrongful death claim.

Damages in a wrongful death lawsuit can include funeral and burial costs, medical bills, and loss of services. We will need documentation to support your financial losses.

If your baby developed meningitis, call our seasoned Syracuse attorneys. DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Attorneys has more than 30 years of experience seeking best results for babies and their families in Canandaigua, Lowville, Auburn, Buffalo, Oneida, Utica, Rochester, Albany, Wampsville, Watertown, Herkimer, Oswego, Lyons, Ithaca, Cooperstown, Binghamton, Elmira, and all of Upstate New York. For a free consultation, complete our online form or call us at 833-200-2000.