Do I have a lawsuit?

Question

So I had a still birth in October due to placental abruption. I was 31 weeks when it happened and my baby was “completely healthy”. Two weeks before I had some SEVERE cramping at work and I went in to my OB to make sure everything was alright, I tell the nurse what I was doing when it happened because I was just walking at work waiting tables like I always did, when I told her this she lectured me for 20 minutes how she couldn’t put me on disability and that was definitely not what I told her.. I just said it happened at work and how and that was my concern for the doctor. So fifteen minutes go by and the doctor comes in and I let him know and he take fetal heart beat which he HAD ISSUES finding you can tell he freaked out and didn’t say a word and wheeled in the small ultra sound machine, after a few minutes found the heartbeat and said everything was okay, took measurements again and told me he’d see me in four weeks... I have had multiple people tell me that I have a case and need to go in and have something done with this ob.. I don’t even want money if this is the case I just dont want it to happen to another women. Money won’t bring my beautiful little eli back, but mother’s deserve to be taken seriously. Please take the toll and leave comments. Lots of love to everyone 💕

Accepted Answer

Okay so, sorry for your loss. But what exactly are you suing for? 
I’ve had to have drs use an ultrasound machine due to not finding a heartbeat on a Doppler. That’s actually pretty common. I’m sure he seemed ‘freaked’ simply because he didn’t want to tell you anything was wrong until He could see on his machine.
Not all ultrasounds can see abruptions. They can just rule out a Previa.

Answer

I’m not sure - I mean it seems like if he did an ultrasound and believed everything was ok then it’s a bit hard to pin blame. If there’d been a concern with the scan sure - but unless someone pointed something out there’s just an assumption that he either missed something (were all human) or he chose not to mention which would he hard to prove 
Was there anything else that happened after that visit ? Any other concerns?

Answer

Well seeing as, at the time, you had none of the normal symptoms, and the baby had a normal heartbeat, and it was 2 weeks prior, so you might have had no indication, there's no reason to believe the doctor was aware that it would happen, not to mention that it is pretty rare. I get you want someone to blame, you went through a horrible thing, but unless you have proof that the doctor knew and withheld that information, you can't do much

Answer

I’m so, so sorry for your loss...just the most tragic and I hope you know your angel is watching over you. 
But what can you sue for? They had no way to tell if the cramping had to do with your previa. If you had been walking around all day, they could have assumed it was cramping from dehydration. And they found the heartbeat of the baby at the time. To them, everything seemed fine....in my opinion, you can take anyone to court for anything, but I don’t think you’d win 😔

Answer

I really don't think you do. sounds like he truly thought everything was fine. He's not God so he can't know EVERYTHING. he had no way of knowing what was going to happen.

Answer

Speaking from someone who has a traumatic birth and a daughter born not breathing due to negligence at birth it doesn't sound like medical negligence or malpractice. It's so easy for people to tell you to sue. Medical lawsuits are not so cut and dry. Placenta abruptions suck and outcomes are very unpredictable. We talked to a lawyer and had opportunity to sue, but my daughter is doing well and I don't care about a money amounts. I've taken a spin on it and I take every opportunity I can to educate on asking questions during labor and sharing my experience so it doesn't happen again. I'm sorry for your loss but I'd suggest getting your records and reviewing, get nurse friends or family to review. I personally don't think you have a case but that's just from my experience.

Answer

I'm so sorry for what happened, I can't imagine how awful this must all be for you. I agree with what everyone else is saying, there wouldn't be anything you could sue for. If you had concerns you'd be best writing down your complaint in a letter or email and sending it to the practice. I think you would be completely within your rights to complain about that nasty person saying about getting signed off, they should have been listening to you rather than judging you. I think you need to just tell your in laws that you don't want to pursue this and that right now you just want to focus on healing from your loss. Be as firm with them as you need to be, they can't force you to take up a legal case that you don't want

Answer

I’m really so sorry to hear about your loss. I don’t know enough about the condition and symptoms to comment on that, but I do know a lot about personal injury/med mal lawsuits. Please just consider the emotional toll these lawsuits take. They often drag on for years and are absolute hell on the family.

Answer

Even if considered malpractice... Most drs choose to not have malpractice  insurance... and that is one of the 1st papers you sign when seeing a new Dr..... Not sure why you're thinking of suing....

Answer

Sorry for your loss.
What exactly are you suing for?
It doesn’t sound like the DR did anything wrong?
If you was worried why didn’t you go to the hospital?!
No I don’t think you have a case, it would be pretty hard to sue without any solid proof.

Do I have a lawsuit?

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