What Is a Birth Injury Law Firm?
A birth injury law firm is a legal practice staffed with personal injury attorneys who have specialized skills and experience in the area of birth injuries and birth injury lawsuits. Birth injury attorneys help affected families pursue compensation and justice.
Because birth injuries are often severe and can cause children to suffer physical and intellectual disabilities for the rest of their lives, lifelong medical treatment may be needed to manage symptoms.
It costs about $1.65 million to provide care for a child with cerebral palsy throughout their lifetime, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unfortunately, many families find it challenging to pay for necessary medical expenses.
A birth injury law firm can step in and seek compensation on behalf of a family to help cover the cost of treatment and care. The law firm can also hold any negligent medical practitioners responsible for causing injury to an infant.
If your child suffered an injury at birth, we may be able to help. Contact one of our team members right now for a free case review.
Types of Cases Birth Injury Law Firms Handle
Birth injury law firms employ attorneys with the skills and experience necessary to handle a wide variety of birth injury claims.
Common birth injury cases include:
- Birth trauma
- Brain damage
- Cephalohematoma (bleeding under one of the cranial bones)
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy and other brachial plexus injuries
- Fetal distress
- Hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain)
- Shoulder dystocia
- Spinal cord injuries
- Umbilical cord injuries
- Wrongful death
Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Unfortunately, many other birth injuries can cause permanent disability and affect a child’s quality of life.
Medical Malpractice and Negligence
A birth injury law firm can help you take legal action when your child is the victim of a preventable medical mistake that occurred before, during, or shortly after childbirth.
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other health care professional, through a negligent action or omission, harms a patient. Medical negligence can be linked to an error in diagnosis, treatment, or aftercare.
For example, many injuries are caused by delayed Cesarean sections (C-sections), misuse of forceps or vacuum extractors, and excessive force during delivery
Obstetricians and other health care professionals are expected to meet a certain standard of care. When they fall short, they can — and should — be held accountable.
After evaluating the facts of your case, a birth injury law firm can let you know whether medical malpractice may have caused or contributed to your child’s injury. They can explain your legal options and file a medical malpractice case on behalf of you and your injured child.
If you suspect malpractice played a role in your child’s birth injury, we may be able to help. LawFirm.com has registered nurses on staff who can listen to your story and help you figure out what went wrong. Contact us right now for a free case review.
Why Work With a Birth Injuries Practice?
Birth injuries law firms have the experience and resources needed to build a strong case against medical professionals who may have harmed your infant.
Some benefits of partnering with a birth injuries law firm are:
- Less stress: A birth injury law firm can build your case and handle a medical malpractice lawsuit from start to finish. That means you can focus on caring for your child while your suit moves forward.
- Strong attorney-client relationships: These firms treat families with compassion and take time to explain the legal process, answer questions, and keep them updated about the status of their case.
- Nurses on staff: These medical professionals can help prove medical malpractice and provide support to families raising a child with a health impairment.
- An understanding of the care your child requires: These firms know the struggle and financial hardship that often comes with raising a baby with a birth injury. They will fight for the compensation you need to care for your child and get you your payout as quickly as possible.
In contrast, a general law firm may not have the specialized skills required for complex malpractice lawsuits. Even if they do win a case, they may not recover as much financial compensation as a birth injuries law firm would.
Call (888) 726-9160 now to see if you are eligible to file a birth injury claim with the help of an experienced firm.
What to Expect From a Birth Injuries Firm
Once you agree to work with a birth injury law firm, the firm will assemble a legal team to handle all the tasks of filing a birth injury lawsuit on your behalf. Your team will include skilled birth injury attorneys, paralegals, medical experts, and additional support personnel.
Your attorney will keep you updated as your birth injury lawsuit moves through the litigation process.
The Birth Injury Lawsuit Process
A birth injury law firm will strive to make filing a lawsuit as stress-free as possible while they work on your case.
The basic steps of the lawsuit process include:
- Filing a lawsuit: Your birth injury law firm will file a complaint against the medical professionals and/or hospital responsible for your child’s injury and request financial compensation. You will become the plaintiff in the case, and the health care providers will be the defendants.
- Discovery process: Each party will collect evidence to build a strong case. For example, your birth injury lawyer may use medical records from your pregnancy and birth in addition to testimony from top medical experts to establish medical malpractice.
- Settlement: Most lawsuits end in a settlement, a legal agreement to end the case. If your birth injury law firm presents strong evidence that your baby’s injury was caused by malpractice, the defendants will likely agree to a settlement to pay for your child’s medical expenses and care.
- Trial: If the parties fail to reach a settlement, the case will go to court and each side will argue their case to a judge or jury. The judge or jury will then decide the winner of the lawsuit. However, the parties can still settle during the trial or even after a verdict has been decided.
Law firms often favor birth injury settlements over trials as trials can add time to the litigation process and can be more risky, as you are not guaranteed any compensation.
Help for Your Baby
Birth injury settlement money can help pay for your child’s medical bills and care.
For example, settlement money can be used to pay for:
- Assistive technology
- Physical therapy
- Special education
- Speech therapy
- Transportation equipment
- Other medical costs
Many parents experience peace of mind knowing that their child’s future is secure.
If your child has a birth injury and you’re worried about paying for their care, LawFirm.com may be able to help. Contact us right now for a free case evaluation. We’ll connect you with a top birth injury law firm if you qualify.
Choosing the Right Firm
Finding a birth injury law firm that’s right for you and your family can be confusing and overwhelming.
Parents should look for a birth injury practice with specific characteristics.
The best birth injury law firms have these qualities:
- Experienced birth injury lawyers: Working with a law firm that has a proven track record of handling other birth injury cases is crucial. When deciding on a law firm to help you with a birth injury case, ask about their previous cases and success rate.
- Extensive resources: Resources such as registered nurses on staff and access to top medical experts can help prove medical malpractice and build a strong case.
- National presence: National law firms have law offices across the country and know how the laws in each state can impact a case. As a result, they can make sure you file your birth injury suit within a specific state’s statute of limitations. These laws determine the window of time that you have to file your case.
- No upfront fees: The top birth injury law firms work on a contingency basis. This means there are no upfront or hourly costs. The law firm only collects a percentage of the payout if you win your case — meaning there is no financial risk to taking legal action.
The birth injury law firms in the LawFirm.com network have these characteristics.
Finding a Birth Injury Firm Near You
Hiring a birth injury law firm is an important decision that may affect the quality of care your child is able to access in the future. Finding a firm near you can make things easier.
LawFirm.com can connect you with a birth injury law firm in our national network that has:
- A proven track record of winning cases for families like yours
- Essential resources, including connections with respected medical experts
- No upfront or out-of-pocket costs
Our birth injury law firms have the experience and resources to take on complicated cases and win. They will handle all aspects of your case so you can focus on what is truly important — caring for your child.
Call (888) 726-9160 or fill out our contact form now and take the first step toward pursuing justice for your family.
Birth Injuries Law Firms FAQs
What is considered a birth injury?
A birth injury is an injury that an infant suffers before, during, or shortly after the delivery process.
Some common types of birth injuries include:
- Brain damage
- Cephalohematoma
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Fetal distress
- Shoulder dystocia
- Spinal cord injuries
- Umbilical cord injuries
While some birth injuries are mild and heal on their own, others leave children with serious injuries and lifelong disabilities.
What is childbirth negligence?
Childbirth negligence is a preventable medical error caused by a health care professional that results in a birth injury. Medical mistakes like failure to respond to fetal distress, failure to diagnose a maternal infection, or misuse of forceps are sometimes considered childbirth negligence.
If you believe a doctor or health care professional may be responsible for your child’s birth injury, get a free consultation now.
When should I contact a birth injuries law firm?
It is crucial that you reach out to an experienced birth injuries law firm as soon as possible if you believe something may have happened to your baby before, during, or soon after birth.
Birth injury cases are time-sensitive, so it is in your best interest to contact a law firm as soon as you suspect your child was harmed. If you wait too long, you may lose your right to compensation and justice on your child’s behalf.
How much do birth injury law firms cost?
The best birth injury law firms work under a contingency arrangement. That means there are no upfront costs or hourly fees. Instead, these firms only get paid if you win your case.
How do I find a birth injury law firm near me?
LawFirm.com has partnered with a national network of experienced birth injury law practices that may be able to help your family regardless of where you live. Contact us right now at (888) 726-9160.