Does Maryland Have a Birth Injury Fund?

Posted on December 17, 2014 at 12:00pm by

Updating a blog post we brought you earlier this year, a panel in Maryland has recommended that the state create a fund to help care for babies with suffering neurological injuries during birth. Photo of baby

According to the Baltimore Sun, the no-fault fund would be similar to funds setup in Virginia and Florida. It is controversial among patient advocates and malpractice attorneys. The panel was made up of members of the health care industry, according to the newspaper.

The General Assembly reported that the fund would help control medical malpractice-related costs for doctors and hospitals. The legislation would let hospitals, doctors with obstetrics and gynecological practices, as well as malpractice insurers, pay annual fees to the birth injury fund, which families could used to pay medical bills, according to the Sun.

Many people are worried that the fund would allow healthcare providers to escape blame for negligence. “As I see it, any such fund would inevitably lead to a lack of meaningful accountability, which would lead to further negligence, and inevitably hurt the victims and their families with unfair and unjust compensation,” Michael Bennett, a patient advocate said, according to the Sun.

Should I Speak to an Attorney If My Child Suffers a Birth Injury?

As we reported previously, our attorneys have witnessed directly how birth injury funds run by government agencies can become a nightmare for victims seeking compensation. Funding is often well short of the necessary compensation needed for people or families struggling with the effects of someone else’s negligence.

Birth injuries resulting from healthcare provider negligence can include deformities, brain damage, cerebral palsy, erb’s palsy and shoulder dystocia. All of these injuries require extended therapy and rehabilitation.

Fortunately, you have our highly skilled birth injury attorneys on your side. For more information, call our firm at 1 (800) 460-0606 to schedule a free consultation.

Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – Birth Injury Attorneys

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-birth-injury-fund-20141223-story.html