Ambulance Chasers: VENT

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I just saw one of those dumb amublance chaser commercials, and this one takes the cake. It's saying that if your child has Cerebral Plasy, Erb's Palsy, or birth injury to call them. They really pile on the fear about the financial burden of raising such a child. Not every case of Cerebral Palsy is due to a mistake during birth. I don't know about Erb's Palsy, I have never heard of it before.

These people don't give a rat's behind about the children and families. They're just trying to get rich quick. It's these despicable monsters that are the reason so many doctors are no longer delivering babies. The malpractice insurance has skyrocketed, and in some places there are literally no doctors willing to deliver babies anymore. I wish there was some way to make these idiots realize the consequences of their gold digging.

I realize that it is incredibly difficult to raise a child with a disability- many families do indeed go bankrupt. If that disability is the direct result of malpractice, absolutely the family should be compensated. But these people are obviously trying to find cases where none exist. Life happens, unfortunately there is not always somebody to blame. Wouldn't it be poetic justice if one of these "attorneys" or a family member of theirs is pregant and can't find a person willing to deliver because they and their money hungry colleagues drove them all out of business?

 

[lulubelle]

I hate them, I really do. They make my stomach turn. Blech.

 

[bumbershoot]

Actually, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Erb's Palsy is also known as "Brachial Plexus Birth Injury".

It happens with the OB or midwife yanks on the baby's arm and damages the nerves in the brachial plexus, which go to the arm. It's not a good thing. Babies should not be pulled on like that. And OBs and midwives who do that should indeed be punished. And if going into wallets is the only way to get them to stop even one of their dangerous practices, then that's the way to do it.

And cerebral palsy can indeed be caused by the birth attendants' actions. And if the condition is caused by their actions, again, they need to be responsible and step up. If they won't do that, and they won't b/c their malpractice insurance company will dump them, then they need to be forced to do it.


You should look around, find some websites by and for people who have been damaged by birth professionals. I'm not talking about attorney sites, I'm talking about real people working things through. Read about the crud they do (and I'm talking OBs *and* midwives here) when they don't know their jobs very well. See the negative effects they can have on peoples' lives. It's eye opening.

 

[HelenePA]

I didn't have "ambulance chasers" for a birth accident but I did have them for a car accident I was in.. heck I don't even know how they knew I was in one.. I had messages on my answering machine before I got out of the hospital! Yes I did have a lawyer because of the accident but it wasn't one that contacted me I contacted them, I wish I wouldn't have and tried to settle it with out one... they took almost 40% of what they "got me" in the end I don't think it was worth it..

 

[MM27]

I have a student in my class with Erb's Palsy. I don't know if it is correct for all cases, but based on what the mother told me, it was the doctor's fault.

 

[allison443]

I don't know about Erb's Palsy, I have never heard of it before.

Erb's Palsy is a birth-related injury. I don't know if all cases are caused by negligence, but some definitely are.