Birth Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia
Listed in the Best Law Firms & Recognized by Super Lawyers®
Throughout a mother's pregnancy, labor, delivery, and her child's infancy, it is necessary for her doctor to provide constant care and observation. Conditions such as fetal distress or hypoxia can lead to severe injuries, including brain damage, nerve damage, cerebral palsy, or even death.
If you suspect your child was injured by medical malpractice during pregnancy, birth, or after your child was born, the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers at The Beasley Firm can help. We have nearly six decades of experience helping families just like yours recover compensation.
You don't have to go through this difficult time alone. Call The Beasley Firm at (215) 866-2424 to discuss your case in a free consultation.
A Strong Medical-Legal Team to Win Your Birth Injury Case
The Beasley Firm has successfully litigated pregnancy and birth injury cases in Pennsylvania since 1958. We have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for children who need lifelong care. Our team includes experienced attorneys as well as two doctors and three registered nurses, two of whom specialized in maternal and neonatal care.
Together, we were able to win two of the top medical negligence verdicts in the history of Pennsylvania, with recoveries of $100 million and $55 million. We also obtained the largest punitive damage award against a physician in Pennsylvania at $15 million, along with hundreds of other multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Call (215) 866-2424 to learn more!
A few examples of our birth injury case results include:
- In Fallon v. Snyder, a jury awarded $37 million after a medical neglect case that lasted six weeks. Our attorneys were able to prove that the presiding doctor inserted a breathing tube into the infant's esophagus instead of the lungs, causing the baby to suffer oxygen deprivation, hypoxia, and major brain damage.
- In a confidential case, we obtained a $5 million settlement for a baby injured during heart surgery when the doctors cooled the child too fast, permitting the brain to still be warm and in need of oxygen before the heart was stopped.
- In a confidential case, we obtained a $4.5 million settlement for a baby who had a congenital heart defect that went undiagnosed for two years. Soon after the baby was born, a resident doctor requested a CT scan of the child's airway, but the attending doctor refused, stubbornly believing his own incorrect diagnosis.
Birth Defects & Injuries Caused by Prescription Drugs
Many parents are aware of the severe dangers that toxins like mercury and
lead can pose to a developing baby, but recent research shows that a number
of prescription medications can also cause severe harm to fetal development.
For example, medical studies have shown that the antidepressants referred to as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Zoloft and Prozac, dramatically increase the risk of serious complications for babies. Lexapro, too, has been linked to spina bifida and birth defects of the mouth such as cleft palate, and the anti-seizure drug Topamax has also been linked to birth defects.
If your baby has suffered a birth defect and you believe it is linked to a prescription drug, contact The Beasley Firm immediately so that we can begin investigating your case!
Failure to Treat Conditions During Pregnancy
While the most common types of birth injuries are the result of a doctor's failure to safely deliver a baby during labor, there are many instances where infants suffer long-lasting injuries due to negligent care during the pregnancy.
In the last 55+ years, The Beasley Firm has litigated numerous cases of midwife and obstetric negligence with documented results, including the failure to treat or identify conditions such as:
- Preeclampsia and eclampsia
- Maternal infections
- Spina bifida
- HELLP syndrome
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
If you or your child has suffered due to preeclampsia, eclampsia, or another birth injury that was not treated by your doctor, nurse, midwife, or nurse practitioner, we can help you. In addition to decades of experience that made us a leader in this field, here at the Beasley Firm we have a team of nurses and physicians on staff that has actually witnessed and treated pregnant or expecting women. Contact our office at (215) 866-2424 to get started on your case.
Birth Injury FAQs
What Are the Most Common Birth Injuries?
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy and other brachial plexus injuries
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- Asphyxia and hypoxia
- Cephalohematoma
- Prenatal infections and sepsis
What Causes Birth injuries?
- Failure of the nurse or doctor to monitor baby or respond to fetal distress
- Failure to control high blood pressure, eclampsia, or seizures in the mother
- Failure to treat an infection or administer antibiotics
- Excessive force or pulling during delivery of a baby
- Administering too much Pitocin or Oxytocin
- Failure to recognize or treat a placental abruption
- Delayed or incorrectly performed C-section
Birth injuries can be caused by negligence on behalf of your obstetrician, nurse midwife, family practitioner, delivery doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, paramedic, anesthesiologist, pediatrician, hospital, medical facility, or neonatologist.
Does My Baby Have a Birth Defect or a Birth Injury?
Birth injuries occur due to something that happened during labor and delivery. Birth defects develop during the developmental or growing stages of the baby during the pregnancy.
What Should I Do if I Think My Baby Suffered a Birth Injury?
Just like many other mothers who experienced something go wrong during labor or delivery of their baby, you turned to the Internet for answers to your questions. The injured person, family, or loved one usually has a gut feeling that something just wasn’t right during the delivery.
The only way to really know if you have a medical malpractice case is to contact a highly qualified law firm to evaluate your issues and concerns. Our specialized birth injury team is made up of doctors and nurses that have collectively worked over 25 years in the hospital.
Two of our nurses, while working in the hospital setting, witnessed thousands of births and the devastating outcomes if the labor and birth were not monitored or treated properly.
How Can I Afford to Hire a Lawyer?
Plaintiff attorneys, or the lawyers that help injured victims, usually do not ask for any money up front to work on your case. Most plaintiff lawyers will work your case at their expense. If there is an award, settlement, or recovery, the expense to work up your case is deducted from the amount you were awarded. Here at The Beasley Firm, if no award is won, you will not owe us any money.
How Long Do I Have to File a Birth Injury Lawsuit?
Statutes of limitations, or how much time you have to file a lawsuit in a birth injury case, vary depending on the laws of the state where the medical malpractice occurred. In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations is two years and begins at the time the injury took place or discovered within a reasonable timeframe.
Each case is different and each state is different regarding how long you have to file a lawsuit. That’s why it is so important to talk to an experienced birth injury attorney as soon as possible. Once a statute of limitation time frame expires, you will not be able to file a lawsuit no matter how severe the injury or damages are.
We're the Firm Other Lawyers Come to for Help - Call Now!
Given our experience, ability, and record of success in this area, other
attorneys nationwide often refer their cerebral palsy and brain damage
cases to us, including lawyers who advertise nationally for birth injury cases.
Our Philadelphia birth injury team works on lawsuits every day, helping families just like yours investigate and understand the cause of their children's disabilities and obtain fair compensation for their child's preventable injuries.
If you or your baby has been injured during pregnancy, labor, or birth, please contact us at (215) 866-2424 for a free consultation with our birth injury attorney team.
