San Bernardino Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Nowadays, one out of every three babies born across California and the United States undergoes a Cesarean section delivery, making it the most common surgery currently performed in the country. Most women prefer to deliver their babies vaginally, however, and C-sections also bring with them certain risks that can affect both mother and baby. At Kampf, Schiavone & Associates, we understand that C-sections that are not medically unnecessary expose you to potential harm, and we have helped many women and families who suffered hardship following this type of delivery pursue appropriate recourse.

According to Consumer Reports, C-sections, when necessary, can help physicians work around potential birthing hazards, such as a mother’s dangerous health condition, but when doctors perform them and they are not medically necessary, they can cause more harm than good. In fact, some estimate that medically unnecessary C-sections are responsible for causing as many as 20,000 sizable surgical complications every year, calling into question whether some doctors or hospitals prefer performing C-sections because they make them more money.

When you think about the types of California jobs that are most likely to cause workers injuries, you may think about those held by construction workers, miners and loggers, among others. It may surprise you to know, however, the single-most common work-related injury in America is hearing loss, which can affect workers across these as well as numerous other industries. At Kampf, Schiavone & Associates, we recognize the prevalence of work-related hearing loss, and we have helped many clients who lost hearing because of factors relating to their work environments pursue solutions that fit their needs.

According to USA Today, more than 22 million Americans undergo exposure to dangerous levels of noise while at work every year. While those in the construction, mining and manufacturing fields are among those most likely to experience high levels of on-the-job noise, many workers across multiple other industries also undergo exposure. Additionally, those who are most at risk for work-related hearing loss may surprise you.

As someone who makes a living working as a nurse in California, you may understand all too well that aches, pains and ailments are immensely common among those in your line of work. However, one of your most substantial on-the-job hazards involves regularly transporting heavy patients, which can lead to sprains, strains and similar back and musculoskeletal injuries. At Kampf, Schiavone & Associates, we recognize just how common moving patients is a factor in nursing-related injuries, and we have helped many nurses and health care workers who injured themselves at work pursue solutions that meet their needs.

According to Healthcare Business & Technology, moving heavy or immobile patients is the single-biggest occupational hazard faced by today’s nurses. In fact, nurses report suffering more than 35,000 back and musculoskeletal injuries each year that are serious enough to keep them from working. While many hospitals develop programs and otherwise train their workers to utilize safe handling practices, statistics show that using proper lifting techniques only helps so much.

If you are a woman in California who has already had one baby delivered via cesarean section, and if you are pregnant again or thinking about having more children, you may want to have a discussion with your doctor about the risks of vaginal birth after cesarean section.

You may have heard that you cannot, or should not, deliver a baby vaginally after you have had a C-section, but that is not necessarily true. According to the Mayo Clinic, while some women are not good candidates to attempt VBAC, 60 to 80 percent of women who attempt a trial of labor after cesarean accomplish a successful vaginal delivery.