Can You Sue a Hospital for Failing to Monitor Fetal Distress During Labor?

You can often sue the hospital for failing to monitor fetal distress during labor if that failure injures your baby. Hospitals and delivery teams have a duty to monitor a baby’s condition during labor closely. If doctors or nurses ignore warning signs of fetal distress, such as abnormal heart rates or reduced oxygen levels, the consequences can be lifelong.

At Wilt Injury Lawyers, we understand your pain, and our renowned Kentucky birth injury lawyers are here to help you hold the hospital and other negligent parties responsible for your losses.

Why Fetal Monitoring is Crucial

Fetal distress is a broad term for complications that can threaten your baby’s oxygen supply before or during birth. The most common signs appear on the fetal heart monitor. A heart rate that is too slow, too fast, or erratic can signal that your baby isn’t getting enough oxygen. Prolonged labor, compressed umbilical cords, and placental issues are frequent causes.

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) tracks a baby’s heart rate during labor to detect signs of distress. Continuous monitoring allows doctors and nurses to intervene quickly, usually through emergency C-sections. When hospitals fail to act accordingly, the consequences of their negligence can be devastating.

Common examples of negligence tied to monitoring fetal distress include:

• Nurses failing to track or chart heart rate patterns
• Physicians ignoring prolonged decelerations that signal distress
• Hospitals not having staff available for emergency C-sections
• Miscommunication between doctors and delivery staff that leads to dangerous delays

If these failures directly cause your baby harm, such as a brain injury, developmental delays, or death, you have the right to file a lawsuit against the hospital for compensation.

How a Seasoned Birth Injury Attorney Can Secure Maximum Compensation for You

Families facing a birth injury after a hospital fails to monitor fetal distress usually don’t know where to start. Medical records use technical language, the deadlines are short, and hospitals rarely admit mistakes without a fight. That’s why you need a Kentucky birth injury lawyer on your side.

They’ll work with medical experts who know how to read fetal monitoring strips and identify the moments where nurses or doctors should have acted differently. That analysis is critical for proving not just that harm occurred, but that it was preventable, and obtaining a certificate of merit for your case.

Beyond investigating and filing, your lawyer will likewise stand up to the hospital’s legal team and insurers. These companies will minimize your losses and offer you low settlement amounts. Fortunately, your Kentucky birth injury lawyer can leverage expert testimony and is prepared to take your case to trial if necessary.

The goal is to recover damages that reflect the actual cost of your child’s injuries. These may include:

• Medical expenses for surgeries, therapy, medication, and lifelong care
• Lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering, recognizing the physical and emotional toll
• Future care costs, such as specialized equipment, home modifications, or in-home nursing support

Get Legal Assistance from Our Birth Injury Lawyers Serving Kentucky

Contact Wilt Injury Lawyers online or at 502-427-6813 to schedule your complimentary consultation with our birth injury attorneys today.