The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that four out of five pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. 84 percent of women who die during pregnancy, during delivery or up to a year postpartum might have been saved, had there been “reasonable changes” from the healthcare providers, community, patient and more.
Childbirth should be one of the most exciting times in a new parent’s life—but this high rate of preventable deaths is frightening. The study assessed over 1,000 pregnancy related deaths between 2017 and 2019.
Pregnancy deaths in America
America has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world. A study found that “that maternal mortality spiked in the first year of the pandemic, especially among Hispanic and Black women…there were 25 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births between April and December 2020, up 33 percent …[from] the two years prior.”
53 percent of pregnancy-related deaths happen more than a week after birth, while 22 percent of them occurred during pregnancy. 13 percent of these deaths occurred on the day of delivery. Out of all the potential causes of death, mental health conditions accounted for over 20 percent. Black women are most likely to suffer from fatal heart conditions, and Asian women are most likely to die of a hemorrhage.
Who can be held responsible for pregnancy deaths?
When a mother dies as a result of pregnancy, it’s devastating for the family. Not only have they lost a beloved family member, but the cost of medical bills, funeral expenses, childcare and more are financially devastating. Families scramble to care for any surviving infants as they cope with their own grief.
If you’ve lost a loved one to a preventable pregnancy death, you may be able to hold negligent healthcare providers, hospitals and other parties responsible. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may have a case for medical malpractice.
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet their industry-wide standard of care, and as a result, a patient suffers harm. Successful malpractice and wrongful death cases can recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, loss of consortium and more—if you have an experienced attorney like Tim Misny on your side.
Discuss your case with an Ohio medical malpractice lawyer
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your pregnancy-related malpractice case. When you’re the victim of negligence or recklessness, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (800) 556-4769 so that I can evaluate your case right away.
