Fort Worth OB-GYN Malpractice Lawyer

OB GYN negligence during pregnancy, delivery, or gynecological care can leave families facing lasting harm, unanswered questions, and overwhelming uncertainty. Common concerns involve missed warning signs, delayed emergency decisions, surgical mistakes, and failures to diagnose serious pregnancy related complications. These events can affect both mother and child, sometimes leading to permanent injury or fatal outcomes, and the details often turn on what the medical record shows about monitoring, communication, and timely treatment. If you or a loved one were harmed or worse due to OB GYN malpractice in Fort Worth, Texas, contact Hastings Law Firm for a free, confidential case review.

A pregnant woman gently holds her belly in Fort Worth, illustrating the need for an Obstetrician Negligence lawyer.

Trusted Fort Worth Medical Attorneys for Obstetrics Negligence Claims

What You Should Know About Obstetrician Negligence Claims in Fort Worth:

  • Long term harm can follow when fetal distress is not recognized or acted on promptly during labor.
  • Permanent brain injury can result when oxygen deprivation is prolonged due to delayed response to warning signs.
  • Severe maternal outcomes can occur when preeclampsia is missed or untreated, including seizures, stroke, organ failure, and maternal death.
  • Fatal outcomes can occur when postpartum hemorrhage is not recognized or treated with timely intervention.
  • Liability can expand beyond an individual physician when an on call hospital assigned OB GYN is involved in the care.
  • Options can be lost if Texas procedural requirements are not met, even when the underlying claim has merit.
  • Recovery for pain and suffering can be limited in Texas, while economic losses like medical expenses and lost income are not capped.
  • Case viability can turn on whether a required expert report is served on time, since missing the deadline can lead to dismissal with prejudice.
  • Surgical complications can require additional surgeries when injuries occur during hysterectomies or C sections, such as ureter damage or retained surgical items.
  • Accountability can depend on what clinical documentation shows, including fetal monitoring data, nursing notes, medication logs, and operative reports.
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A Healthcare Focused Law Firm

When something goes wrong during pregnancy, delivery, or gynecological care, the emotional weight can feel unbearable. You trusted your doctor with your health or your child’s life, and now you’re left with questions no one seems willing to answer. That uncertainty is valid, and you deserve clarity about what happened and what options are available to you.

As a Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer team, Hastings Law Firm focuses exclusively on medical malpractice. Our legal and medical professionals work together to examine your records, identify where the standard of care may have been violated, and build a case designed for trial from the very first day.

If you believe you or your child were harmed by negligent obstetric or gynecological care, we offer a free, confidential case evaluation to help you understand your rights.

Types of OB-GYN Malpractice Cases We Handle in Fort Worth

OB-GYN malpractice cases typically fall into two categories: obstetrical negligence involving pregnancy and childbirth injuries, or gynecological errors involving surgical mistakes and misdiagnosis of female reproductive health issues. Understanding which category applies to your situation is the first step toward knowing how a claim may proceed.

Obstetrical negligence includes injuries that occur during prenatal care, labor, or delivery. These obstetrician negligence claims often involve:

  • Failure to monitor or respond to signs of fetal distress
  • Delayed or improperly performed C-sections
  • Shoulder dystocia, a complication where the baby’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone during delivery
  • Injuries from operative vaginal delivery, meaning the use of forceps or vacuum extraction to assist in birth
  • Medication errors during labor induction

Gynecological malpractice involves errors in the diagnosis or surgical treatment of conditions affecting the female reproductive system. These cases may include:

  • Surgical negligence and injuries during hysterectomies or laparoscopic procedures
  • Failure to diagnose gynecological cancers
  • Lack of informed consent before a procedure
  • Complications from improperly performed surgeries in outpatient clinics or hospital settings, including facilities like Texas Health Harris Methodist

As a Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer team, we handle both obstetrical and gynecological claims across Tarrant County. We also represent families in gynecological malpractice lawsuits where serious errors occurred. Whether the injury happened during a routine office visit or an emergency delivery, the central question is the same: did the provider meet the accepted standard of care?

We manage malpractice cases involving medical liability disputes between private physicians and hospital staff. Our Fort Worth OB-GYN negligence attorneys are prepared to handle these complex legal landscapes to secure justice for your family.

Liability for On-Call OB-GYNs vs Private Doctors

Medical liability can look different depending on who provided your care. If you were treated by your own private OB-GYN, that physician may bear direct responsibility for any negligent decisions. But if a hospital-assigned, on-call physician managed your care, the hospital itself may also share liability under theories of hospital negligence.

Understanding the liability for on-call physicians is important because employment status often dictates who is legally responsible for medical errors. We examine the call schedules, hospital policies, and clinical records to determine exactly who was responsible for your care and whether the standard of care was met at every level.

Comparison chart explaining obstetrical negligence versus gynecological errors for a Fort Worth OB GYN Malpractice Lawyer case evaluation including where care occurs common mistakes typical harm and key proof focus.

Common Obstetrical Errors Resulting in Birth Injuries

Common obstetrical errors include failure to monitor fetal distress, delaying a necessary C-section, improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors, and medication errors during labor induction. When any of these mistakes occur, the consequences for both mother and child can be severe and lifelong.

One of the most preventable errors involves misreading or ignoring electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) strips, the continuous tracings that record a baby’s heart rate during labor. These strips can reveal early signs of fetal distress. When providers fail to interpret them correctly or delay their response, the baby may be deprived of oxygen long enough to cause permanent brain damage. A birth injury lawyer at our firm often sees cases where these warnings were missed.

That oxygen deprivation can lead to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain injury caused by reduced blood flow and oxygen to the baby’s brain around the time of birth. HIE is one of the most serious outcomes in birth injury cases and can result in cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and seizure disorders.

Medication errors also contribute to preventable birth injuries. Pitocin, commonly used to induce or strengthen contractions, requires careful dosing and monitoring. Excessive doses can cause contractions that are too strong or too frequent, which may lead to uterine rupture or fetal distress. Errors by an OB-GYN often include C-section errors, such as delaying the procedure despite clear indicators of danger.

Obstetrical ErrorPotential Consequence
Failure to interpret fetal monitoring stripsDelayed response to fetal distress; oxygen deprivation
Delayed emergency C-sectionHIE, cerebral palsy, or stillbirth
Improper use of forceps or vacuumShoulder dystocia, nerve damage, skull fractures
Pitocin mismanagementUterine rupture, fetal distress
Failure to identify breech presentationComplicated delivery, emergency surgery

As a Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer team and experienced Fort Worth birth injury attorney group, we reconstruct the labor timeline minute by minute. We review fetal monitoring data, nursing notes, and medication logs to determine whether the standard of care was followed or whether preventable errors caused the injury.

The Hastings Law Firm Difference

Results matter, but what truly sets us apart is how we achieve them. Every verdict, every settlement, and every Fort Worth courtroom victory comes from one guiding promise: To treat each client’s fight for justice as if it were our own.

  • 20+ years of exclusive focus on healthcare litigation, allowing our entire practice to understand this complex field.
  • Board-certified trial leadership under Tommy Hastings, ensuring every case is approached with precision and integrity.
  • In-house medical professionals including nurse paralegals and certified patient advocates.
  • National network of medical experts who provide the specialized testimony needed to prove complex claims.
  • Proven multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements that demonstrate meaningful outcomes.
  • Compassionate, client-centered representation that ensures each person feels respected and supported.

This balance of skill, experience, and empathy reflects our core philosophy that justice should not only compensate the injured, but also make healthcare safer nationwide.

Personal injury trial attorney Tommy Hastings in a suit standing outside of a courtroom before a medical litigation case starts.

Gynecological Surgical Errors During Hysterectomies and C-Sections

Surgical errors in gynecology often involve accidental perforation of the bowel or bladder, ureter injuries during hysterectomies, or leaving foreign objects inside the patient after a C-section. These complications, when caused by negligence rather than recognized surgical risk, may support a malpractice claim.

A ureter injury, meaning damage to the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder, is one of the more common and serious hysterectomy complications. If not identified and repaired promptly, it can lead to kidney damage, infection, or the need for additional surgeries. A surgical malpractice lawyer can help determine if this injury was preventable.

Another preventable error is a retained surgical item (RSI), which refers to any instrument, sponge, or device left inside a patient’s body after a procedure. Standardized counting protocols exist specifically to prevent this, and a failure to follow them points to a breakdown in the standard of care. We also review cases for surgical negligence involving uterine rupture or placenta accreta that may have been mishandled during surgical intervention.

Common surgical complications we evaluate include:

  • Bowel or bladder perforation during hysterectomy
  • Ureter damage from improper surgical technique
  • Retained sponges, instruments, or device fragments after C-section
  • Failure to detect internal bleeding before closing the surgical site
  • Anesthesia errors during gynecological procedures, including incorrect dosing or failure to monitor the patient’s airway

A Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer at our firm works alongside in-house nursing professionals to review operative reports and post-surgical records. If you need a gynecological error attorney, we look for gaps in documentation, deviations from accepted technique, and delays in recognizing and treating complications.

Failure to Diagnose Preeclampsia and Other Critical Conditions

Failure to diagnose preeclampsia occurs when a doctor overlooks high blood pressure and protein in the urine, potentially leading to seizures (eclampsia), stroke, or organ failure in the mother. Early detection is one of the most important responsibilities an OB-GYN has during pregnancy, and a missed diagnosis can have devastating consequences.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related condition marked by dangerously high blood pressure and signs of organ damage, most commonly affecting the kidneys and liver. When preeclampsia goes undetected or untreated, it can progress to eclampsia, a life-threatening condition involving seizures that can harm both the mother and baby. In the worst cases, this negligence can lead to maternal death.

The warning signs are well established in the medical literature. According to Temple Health’s overview of preeclampsia symptoms, common indicators include persistent headaches, sudden swelling in the face and hands, vision changes, and upper abdominal pain. These symptoms are sometimes dismissed as routine pregnancy discomfort, but they should prompt immediate evaluation, including blood pressure checks and urine protein screening.

OB-GYN negligence in this context can take several forms: failing to order routine labs, ignoring elevated blood pressure readings at prenatal visits, or discharging a patient from the hospital without adequate follow-up after concerning symptoms. The standard of care requires providers to monitor for these conditions at every prenatal appointment and respond promptly when warning signs appear.

Misdiagnosis is not limited to preeclampsia. Gynecological cancers, including cervical and ovarian cancer, can also go undetected when providers fail to follow up on abnormal test results or dismiss persistent symptoms. A malpractice lawyer in Fort Worth can help determine whether a delayed or missed diagnosis fell below the accepted standard. If you have been affected, filing a failure to diagnose lawsuit may be necessary to secure accountability.

Warning checklist of preeclampsia symptoms and escalation steps relevant to a Fort Worth OB GYN Malpractice Lawyer evaluation including red flags that require immediate medical response.

Legal Action for Maternal Death and Severe Hemorrhage

Legal action for maternal death involves proving that the physician failed to manage complications like postpartum hemorrhage or infection, directly resulting in the loss of the mother’s life. These are among the most emotionally difficult cases we handle, and we approach them with the seriousness and care they demand.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), defined as excessive bleeding after delivery, remains one of the leading causes of maternal death in the United States. According to the CDC’s research on preventing pregnancy-related deaths, the majority of these deaths are preventable with timely intervention. When medical teams fail to recognize or respond to hemorrhaging, the consequences can be fatal.

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), a condition in which the placenta attaches too deeply into the uterine wall, significantly increases the risk of catastrophic bleeding during or after delivery. Providers who identify risk factors for PAS are expected to prepare a delivery plan that accounts for the possibility of severe hemorrhage, including assembling the right surgical team and ensuring blood products are available. Failure to adhere to the standard of care in these situations is often the basis for a claim.

For families who have lost a mother due to OB-GYN negligence, a wrongful death claim can provide financial security for the surviving children and hold the responsible parties accountable. A Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer at our firm examines every aspect of the care provided, from prenatal risk assessments to the delivery room response. As a maternal death lawyer and wrongful death attorney team, we fight for justice for grieving families.

Specific Protocols for Maternal Death and Hemorrhaging

Hospitals are expected to follow established medical protocols when a mother begins hemorrhaging. One of the most critical is the massive transfusion protocol (MTP), a predetermined plan for rapidly delivering large volumes of blood products to a patient experiencing life-threatening blood loss like postpartum hemorrhage.

Medical teams follow these standardized plans to manage emergency situations where seconds matter. Deviation from these protocols can be powerful evidence of negligence. We review hospital policies, blood bank records, nursing flowsheets, and provider communication logs to determine whether the standard of care was followed.

If a facility failed to activate its MTP in time, did not have adequate blood products available, or delayed surgical intervention, those failures may have directly contributed to the outcome.

Navigating Texas Laws and Chapter 74 Requirements

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 74 governs medical malpractice claims, imposing strict procedural hurdles such as mandatory expert reports and caps on non-economic damages. Understanding these rules is essential because even a valid claim can be dismissed on procedural grounds if the requirements are not met.

Texas tort reform, enacted in 2003, fundamentally changed the medical liability landscape. Chapter 74 introduced several hurdles that make filing a malpractice case significantly more complex than a standard negligence claim:

  • Mandatory expert reports must be served within 120 days of the date each defendant’s original answer is filed
  • Non-economic damage caps limit recovery for pain and suffering to $250,000 per claimant against all individual physicians and providers combined, and $250,000 per healthcare institution, up to $500,000 total across all healthcare institutions
  • Pre-suit notice requirements mandate that defendants receive written notice at least 60 days before a lawsuit is filed
  • Qualified expert standards require that the expert witness be a physician with knowledge of the accepted standards of care and who is qualified by training or experience to offer opinions on those standards

These requirements are why choosing an OB-GYN malpractice lawyer with specific experience in Texas malpractice laws matters. A general personal injury attorney may not be prepared for the procedural demands Chapter 74 imposes on Fort Worth medical negligence cases. At Hastings Law Firm, every case is built with these requirements in mind from the very beginning, so deadlines are met and claims are structured to withstand defense challenges.

The Critical Role of Expert Reports in Medical Litigation

In Texas, a plaintiff must serve an expert report within 120 days of the date each defendant’s original answer is filed, detailing the standard of care, how it was breached, and how that breach caused the injury. This is not optional. Missing this deadline results in mandatory dismissal of your case with prejudice, meaning you cannot refile.

This report acts as a mandatory screening tool for all medical negligence lawsuits in Texas to ensure the claim has clinical merit. The report must be written by a qualified medical expert witness who is a physician with knowledge of the accepted standards of care for the condition at issue and who is qualified by training or experience to offer opinions on those standards.

In an OB-GYN malpractice case, that means the report should come from a physician with direct knowledge and experience in obstetrics or gynecology. The report needs to accomplish three things: define the applicable standard of care, explain how the defendant fell below that standard, and establish causation between the breach and your injury.

Texas Chapter 74 Expert Report Requirements (120-Day Rule)

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 74.351, the 120-day clock begins on the date each defendant’s original answer is filed. This deadline is strictly enforced by courts in Tarrant County and throughout Texas.

This is one of the primary reasons families should consult a Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer as early as possible. Identifying the right medical expert, obtaining and reviewing all relevant records, and drafting an expert report requirement compliant document takes time. At Hastings Law Firm, our in-house medical staff begins reviewing records immediately after a case is accepted, allowing our attorneys to engage qualified experts and prepare the report well before the deadline.

If the defense successfully challenges the adequacy of the report, the court may grant a 30-day extension to cure deficiencies, but that extension is not guaranteed. The safest approach is to get it right the first time.

Process flowchart showing Texas Chapter 74 expert report steps and the 120 day deadline for a Fort Worth OB GYN Malpractice Lawyer claim including standard of care breach and causation requirements.

Understanding the Statute of Limitations for Texas Malpractice

The statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Texas is generally two years from the date of the negligence, though exceptions exist for minors and cases where the injury was not immediately discoverable. If you do not file your lawsuit within that window, you lose the right to pursue a claim, regardless of how strong the evidence may be.

There are limited exceptions to this two-year rule:

  • The Discovery Rule: If the injury was not immediately apparent, the clock may begin on the date the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. This can apply to cases involving a missed diagnosis or a retained surgical item found months later.
  • Minors: For children under 12 years old at the time of the injury, the statute of limitations is extended until the child’s 14th birthday.
  • The Statute of Repose: Texas imposes a hard 10-year outer limit. Regardless of when the injury is discovered, no medical malpractice claim can be filed more than 10 years after the date of the negligent act. This applies even in cases involving minors.

This time limit to sue represents the final date a patient can file a legal claim for damages. Because these deadlines are rigid and the procedural requirements under Chapter 74 add additional time pressure, consulting an OB-GYN malpractice lawyer early gives your legal team the best opportunity to investigate, secure expert opinions, and file before the time limit expires.

Recoverable Damages for Obstetric and Gynecologic Injuries

Recoverable damages include economic costs like past and future medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and physical impairment. The total value of a claim depends on the severity of the injury, the long-term care needs, and the impact on the patient’s daily life and earning capacity.

Economic DamagesNon-Economic Damages
Past and future medical expensesPhysical pain and suffering
Lost wages and future earning capacityMental anguish and emotional distress
Rehabilitation and therapy costsLoss of consortium (spousal relationship)
Life care plan expenses (for permanent injuries)Physical impairment and disfigurement
Home modifications and assistive equipmentLoss of enjoyment of life

In cases involving a child with a permanent birth injury such as cerebral palsy, the economic damages alone can be substantial. A life care plan, developed by medical and vocational experts, projects the lifetime cost of therapies, medications, adaptive equipment, surgeries, and around-the-clock care. Research published by the National Institutes of Health on the economic costs of childhood disability confirms that these future medical costs often reach into the millions over a lifetime.

For women who lose their fertility or reproductive organs due to gynecological negligence, damages also account for the profound personal and emotional impact of that loss. A Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer at our firm works with medical experts to secure full compensation for birth injury and other damages in malpractice cases.

Impact of Texas Non-Economic Damage Caps

Texas law caps non-economic damages at $250,000 per claimant against all individual physicians and providers combined, and $250,000 per healthcare institution, up to $500,000 total across all healthcare institutions. These damage caps apply to pain, suffering, and mental anguish, but they do not apply to economic damages like medical expenses and lost income.

Because of these limits, the way a claim is structured matters significantly. Our Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer team focuses on thoroughly documenting every economic loss, including future costs that may not be immediately obvious. By building detailed life care plans and retaining economists to project lifetime losses, we work to ensure that the recoverable damages reflect the true financial burden the injury has caused.

Why Partner with Hastings Law Firm for Your Claim

Partnering with Hastings Law Firm ensures you are represented by Board Certified specialists who utilize in-house medical experts and a trial-ready strategy to challenge powerful hospital systems. We do not handle car accidents, slip-and-fall cases, or any other type of personal injury. Medical malpractice is our exclusive focus.

That focus gives us a distinct advantage. Our legal team includes former defense attorneys who previously represented hospitals and insurance carriers. They understand the tactics the other side will use because they used to deploy them. This perspective shapes how we investigate, how we build our arguments, and how we prepare for depositions and as a trial lawyer team.

You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Every case begins with a free, confidential evaluation, and our no fee guarantee contingency fee structure means there is no financial risk to you for hiring a malpractice attorney. We strive to be the best OB-GYN lawyer choice for your family’s needs.

In-House Nursing Professionals for Medical Record Review

One of the most important advantages we offer as a Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer firm is immediate access to in-house nursing professionals. Our team includes nurse practitioners and board-certified nurse consultants who review your medical records with clinical expertise.

These professionals know how to read nursing flowsheets, interpret electronic health records, and identify charting inconsistencies that outside reviewers might overlook. In OB-GYN cases, the details buried in nursing notes, fetal monitoring strips, and medication administration records often contain the most important evidence. Having clinical professionals embedded in our legal team allows us to identify potential breaches in the standard of care faster and build stronger cases from the outset.

Contact the Fort Worth Birth Injury Attorneys at Hastings Law Firm Today for Help

If you or your child suffered an injury due to negligent OB-GYN care, you do not have to face this alone. The answers you are looking for may be buried in your medical records, and our team has the legal and clinical expertise to find them.

Hastings Law Firm offers a confidential, no-obligation evaluation led by a patient advocate who can help you understand whether you have a case. There are no upfront fees or costs. We only get paid if we secure a recovery for you.

Time limits under Texas law are strict, so the sooner you reach out, the more time our team has to investigate and protect your claim. Contact our Fort Worth OB-GYN malpractice lawyer team today to take the first step toward getting the answers and accountability your family deserves. Please contact our firm today.

Frequently Asked Questions About OB-GYN Malpractice in Fort Worth

Texas applies the same non-economic damage caps to birth injury cases as it does to standard malpractice claims under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. However, economic damages, which cover the lifetime medical care often required for birth injuries like cerebral palsy, are not capped. Distinguish between a birth injury caused by negligence and a birth defect as defined by the National Human Genome Research Institute, which is a genetic or structural condition that is not caused by medical error.

Major facilities in Tarrant County include Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth, JPS Health Network, and Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center. We handle cases involving medical liability and negligence at these and other local Fort Worth hospitals.

Common examples of surgical negligence include the accidental severing of the ureter during a hysterectomy, perforation of the bowel or bladder during laparoscopic surgery, and failure to detect internal bleeding post-operation. These hysterectomy complications and related errors may form the basis of a malpractice claim when they result from a departure from the accepted standard of care.

You can file a medical board complaint through the Texas Medical Board’s online portal. While this triggers a regulatory investigation into whether the provider met the standard of care, it does not provide financial compensation. To recover damages for your injury, you must file a separate civil lawsuit.

A birth defect is a genetic or developmental abnormality that occurred during pregnancy, while a birth injury is preventable harm caused by medical negligence during the delivery process. For example, oxygen deprivation during labor that leads to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a birth injury, and a family affected by such negligence should consult a birth injury lawyer to understand their legal options.

A group photo of the staff at Hastings Law Firm Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Have a Question? Our Team of Board Certified Patient Advocates, Nurse Paralegals, and Experienced Trial Attorneys are Here to Answer Your Questions.

Key OB-GYN Malpractice Terms:

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM)
A medical procedure that tracks a baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contractions during pregnancy and labor using sensors placed on the mother’s abdomen or internally. In obstetrical malpractice cases, EFM is critical because failure to properly interpret the monitoring strips can delay recognition of fetal distress, potentially leading to brain injury or death if an emergency delivery is not performed in time.
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
A type of brain damage that occurs when a baby’s brain does not receive enough oxygen (hypoxia) and blood flow (ischemia) before, during, or shortly after birth. HIE can result in permanent neurological disabilities such as cerebral palsy, developmental delays, or seizures. In malpractice cases, HIE often results from preventable obstetrical errors like delayed emergency cesarean sections or failure to respond to fetal distress.
Shoulder dystocia
A serious delivery complication that occurs when a baby’s shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone after the head has already been delivered. This emergency requires immediate, specific maneuvers to free the baby and prevent oxygen deprivation or nerve damage to the baby’s arm and shoulder (brachial plexus injury). In malpractice claims, shoulder dystocia cases often involve failure to recognize risk factors, improper delivery techniques, or excessive force during delivery.
Operative vaginal delivery (forceps or vacuum extraction)
A delivery method where the doctor uses special instruments—either forceps (metal tongs that cradle the baby’s head) or a vacuum extractor (a suction cup device)—to help guide the baby out of the birth canal. These tools are used when labor is prolonged or the baby shows signs of distress. In malpractice cases, improper use of these instruments can cause skull fractures, brain bleeding, facial nerve damage, or other serious birth injuries.
Ureter injury
Accidental damage to one or both ureters, the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, during gynecological surgery such as a hysterectomy or cesarean section. Because the ureters are located near the uterus and ovaries, they can be cut, burned, or blocked during these procedures. In malpractice cases, ureter injuries often involve failure to recognize the injury during surgery or delayed diagnosis afterward, leading to kidney damage, infections, or the need for additional surgeries.
Retained surgical item (RSI)
A surgical object—such as a sponge, gauze, needle, or instrument—that is accidentally left inside a patient’s body after surgery is completed. Retained items can cause serious complications including infection, pain, internal damage, and the need for additional surgery to remove them. In malpractice cases involving hysterectomies and cesarean sections, RSIs are considered preventable errors that result from failures in surgical count procedures and team communication.
Preeclampsia
A serious pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to organ systems, typically the liver and kidneys, usually occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Warning signs include severe headaches, vision changes, upper abdominal pain, and swelling of the hands and face. In malpractice cases, preeclampsia claims often involve healthcare providers who dismiss these symptoms, fail to monitor blood pressure properly, or do not order necessary testing, allowing the condition to progress to life-threatening eclampsia.
Eclampsia
A severe, life-threatening complication of preeclampsia in which a pregnant woman develops seizures or goes into a coma due to dangerously high blood pressure. Eclampsia can cause stroke, organ failure, placental separation, and death of both mother and baby if not treated immediately. In medical malpractice cases, eclampsia typically results from failure to diagnose and properly treat preeclampsia before it progresses to this critical stage.
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)
Severe, excessive bleeding that occurs after childbirth, typically defined as blood loss exceeding 500 milliliters after vaginal delivery or 1,000 milliliters after cesarean section. PPH is a leading cause of maternal death and can result from failure of the uterus to contract properly, retained placental tissue, tears in the birth canal, or bleeding disorders. In malpractice cases, PPH claims often involve delayed recognition of hemorrhage, failure to have blood products ready, or inadequate surgical intervention to stop the bleeding.
Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS)
A serious pregnancy complication in which the placenta attaches too deeply into the uterine wall and does not detach normally after delivery. The spectrum ranges from accreta (attached to the muscle), to increta (grown into the muscle), to percreta (grown through the uterine wall and possibly into other organs). PAS significantly increases the risk of life-threatening hemorrhage during delivery and often requires hysterectomy. In malpractice cases, claims involve failure to diagnose PAS through prenatal imaging, inadequate surgical planning, or mismanagement of hemorrhage during delivery.
Massive transfusion protocol (MTP)
A standardized emergency procedure that hospitals activate when a patient experiences severe, life-threatening bleeding requiring rapid transfusion of large amounts of blood products, including red blood cells, plasma, and platelets in specific ratios. In obstetrical malpractice cases involving maternal death or severe postpartum hemorrhage, failure to activate the MTP quickly enough or lack of a proper protocol in place can be evidence of substandard care that contributed to preventable death or permanent injury.

Get Answers Today

If you think that medical negligence, a dangerous drug, or a failed medical product caused harm to you or someone you love, our team is standing by to offer guidance. We’ll explain your options under current laws and help you move forward with clarity and understanding. Case reviews are free and 100% confidential.