Munley Law’s Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers help families pursue justice when medical negligence causes life-altering harm at birth. We bring nearly seven decades of experience representing injury victims and a proven record of results in complex medical malpractice claims.
Recognized by organizations such as Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, we have earned national respect for securing significant verdicts and settlements. Our Pittsburgh attorneys combine legal skill with compassionate advocacy for families facing overwhelming challenges.
We understand the emotional and financial toll a birth injury can place on parents and children. That’s why we handle every aspect of your case while you focus on your child’s care.
From investigating medical errors to working with leading experts, Munley Law’s Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers build strong claims designed to secure the compensation your family needs for long-term support. Contact us for a free consultation today.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 What Is a Birth Injury and When Is It Medical Malpractice?
A birth injury is a physical illness or injury caused by a medical professional to an infant or mother at any point during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. When it results from negligence, it constitutes medical malpractice. This is sometimes known as medical negligence.
A birth injury can be caused by the negligence of any medical professional involved in the birth of a child. This could include your obstetrician, midwife, nurse, and anesthesiologist.
What Causes Birth Injuries During Pregnancy, Labor, or Delivery?
Birth injuries can occur during labor and delivery, or can be caused by complications during pregnancy, and can cause a wide variety of problems for a newborn.
Common causes of birth injuries include:
- Lack of oxygen. Any action or inaction that causes oxygen not to reach the baby can cause injury. This could include compression or prolapse of the umbilical cord before or during birth.
- Physical trauma caused by improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors
- Failure to monitor. When a mother and her baby are not properly monitored during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, a birth injury can occur. The most common mistakes are related to monitoring the baby’s heart rate during labor and delivery, which can lead to the death of the baby.
- Delaying or failing to perform a Cesarean section
- Failure to timely perform necessary interventions
- Failure to order or perform sufficient prenatal testing
- Failure to detect fetal distress
- Failure to address other issues during pregnancy or labor that might put the infant in danger
- Infection or sepsis after birth
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 7 in 1,000 births in the U.S. involve birth injuries each year, affecting up to 30,000 infants annually.
What Types of Birth Injuries Can Occur at Birth?
Birth injuries can result in long-term medical problems for the baby or the mother, or both. The most common consequences of birth injuries include:
- Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the brain. Symptoms of cerebral palsy can include difficulty with movement, balance, coordination, and reflexes.
- Erb’s palsy is a condition caused by damage to the nerves in the neck. Symptoms of Erb’s palsy can include limited movement or feeling in the arm and hand, as well as weakness in the muscles.
- A brachial plexus injury is caused by damage to the nerves in the neck that control the movement of the arm. Symptoms of a brachial plexus injury can include weakness in the arm, as well as a lack of feeling and movement.
- Traumatic brain injury during delivery, which could be permanent.
- Fracture of the infant’s bones during delivery, in particular the collarbone.
- Hypoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain or other organs. Lack of oxygen can result in cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, developmental issues, and hearing/vision impairments. One common type of hypoxia is Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE).
At Munley Law, our attorneys have extensive experience handling birth injury cases in Pittsburgh. We can help you understand the potential causes of your child’s birth injury and what your rights are. We understand the complexities of birth injury cases and are here to provide you with the legal guidance and support you need.
If you or your child has suffered a birth injury, contact us today to learn more about your legal options. We are here to help you seek justice and compensation for the wrongs your family has suffered. Call us today for a free consultation.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of Birth Injuries?
The consequences of birth injuries range from minor to severe. Some, such as bruising, resolve on their own without medical intervention. But others can have long-lasting and life-altering effects. Children injured during birth may experience these consequences:
- Paralysis
- Physical disabilities
- Developmental disabilities
- Educational disabilities
- Blindness
- Lack of coordination
- Breathing problems
Because of these consequences, a child who suffered a birth injury may require special care and services throughout life. This could include assistive devices such as wheelchairs or breathing apparatus, surgery, medications, special education services, and personal attendants.
These special services and needs can be costly. That’s one reason why a birth injury case can be so important following a birth injury. No amount of money will undo the harm suffered, but sufficient funds can allow a family to provide the best possible care and life for their child.
Each case is different, and no one can tell you what compensation you will receive in a birth injury claim until the facts and circumstances of the injuries have been fully investigated. But there are general categories of compensation that are available in birth injury cases. These include economic damages, such as compensation for medical treatment, occupational therapy, diminished earning power, adaptive technology, home modifications, and in-home care. You may also be entitled to non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, altered quality of life, and more. In rare instances, punitive damages may be imposed.
How Do I Know if I Have a Pittsburgh Birth Injury Claim?
Not all birth injuries are caused by medical negligence. Sometimes, complications arise during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, even though your medical team does everything they can in a timely manner. And sometimes those complications lead to birth injuries even though there is no negligence. In other words, birth injuries are not always preventable.
But, if you suspect your doctor or other medical professional failed to adequately address your concerns or complications, or otherwise made a decision that adversely affected your or your child’s health, you should speak with an experienced birth injury lawyer.
If you think your baby’s medical problem may have been caused by an injury during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, contact the experienced birth injury lawyers at Munley Law for a free consultation. We can assess your case and help you determine the best course of action.
How Long Do I Have to File a Pittsburgh Birth Injury Claim?
Most claims for medical negligence must be filed within two years. However, this is not true for birth injury cases. It can take time for the consequences of a birth injury to develop. Because of this, you or your child has until your child turns 21 years of age to file a lawsuit for the birth injury.
This is important because only some birth injuries are immediately diagnosed after birth. Others take months or years to identify and may not be diagnosed until a child misses developmental milestones.
If your child has developmental delays that are diagnosed as a form of cerebral palsy or other disorder caused by a birth injury, you may have a claim. A birth injury lawyer can help determine if medical negligence is to blame.
How Pittsburgh Birth Injury Lawyers Can Help You and Your Family
Like all medical malpractice cases, birth injury cases are complicated. But the experienced birth injury lawyers at Munley Law handle all aspects of your case so you can focus on caring for your family. We thoroughly investigate what happened. We consult with medical experts. We interview witnesses and review medical reports. With this information, we are able to build the best possible case to prove your child’s injuries were caused by medical negligence so you can receive the compensation you and your family deserve.
We negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to reach a settlement. And if a settlement cannot be reached, we will advocate for you in court so you receive the maximum compensation available.
How to Prove Negligence in Birth Injury Cases
In order to recover compensation in a birth injury lawsuit, you must prove that medical professionals acted negligently and that negligence caused the birth injury your child suffered.
This means your attorneys will need to prove the following:
- Duty – Medical professionals have a legal responsibility to protect their patients from harm. In medical malpractice, including birth injury cases, this is established by showing that a doctor-patient relationship existed. A doctor-patient relationship exists between a patient and any healthcare professional responsible for administering their care. This means your obstetrician, the doctor on call, nurses taking care of you and your baby, midwives, anesthesiologists, and others owe you and your baby a duty of care.
- Breach – Medical professionals breach their duty to protect the patient when they do not adhere to the acceptable standard of care in their profession.
- Injury – Your attorney will need to show not only that the medical professional was negligent, but that the negligence caused the injury. In other words, you must prove that your child’s injury occurred as a direct result of the actions or inaction of the medical professionals.
- Damages – You must also prove that the injury caused physical and financial harm. Your birth injury lawyer will need to show not only that your child was harmed, but that your child and your family suffered specific damages as a result of the injury.
Frequently Asked Questions About Birth Injury Cases
How Do I Know If I Have a Valid Birth Injury Case?
If your baby suffered an injury during the labor and delivery process that was caused by the negligence of a medical professional, you may have a valid birth injury claim.
Do I Need a Lawyer If My Child Suffered a Birth Injury?
Yes. If malpractice caused your child’s birth injury, you and your child deserve compensation for your costs and suffering. And, the negligent doctor or another medical professional should be held accountable. Unfortunately, getting the compensation you deserve can be difficult. It requires investigation, negotiation, and possibly going to court.
Hospitals and medical professionals, as well as their insurance companies, have experienced lawyers who will try to settle for as little money as possible. But because many birth injuries cause life-long and serious disabilities, the costs to care for your child may be enormous.
What Evidence Is Needed to Prove a Birth Injury Claim?
Birth injury cases rely heavily on medical records, fetal monitoring strips, and expert testimony. These help establish what happened during the pregnancy and delivery. Medical experts are often called upon to explain how a provider’s actions deviated from accepted standards. This evidence is critical in proving negligence and causation.
Can I File If My Child’s Injury Was Diagnosed Years Later?
Yes. Many birth injuries are not immediately apparent and may only be diagnosed as a child grows. Developmental delays or neurological conditions may emerge over time. Pennsylvania law allows extended filing deadlines for minors, giving families time to recognize and act on these issues.
How Do I Choose a Birth Injury Lawyer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?
When choosing a birth injury lawyer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, you should look for an attorney with experience handling birth injury cases, a track record of success, and a commitment to providing personalized attention and compassionate support to their clients. You should also consider their fee structure and whether they offer free consultations or contingency fee arrangements.
Contact Munley Law’s Pittsburgh Birth Injury Lawyers
For nearly 70 years, our Pittsburgh personal injury lawyers have been helping families throughout the region secure the compensation they deserve after a birth injury. Our firm has earned national recognition for excellence in personal injury law, including membership in the American Association for Justice and leadership roles in state and national trial organizations. We are known for our client-first approach and a long history of successful outcomes in complex, high-stakes cases.
Munley Law will fight on your behalf to make sure you and your family get the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries. We want you to focus on getting well, providing for your baby, and moving forward in the best way possible.
Call us for a free, confidential consultation. You can also live chat with us or use our online contact form. There is no fee for our services unless we win your case.
Types of Pittsburgh Personal Injury Claims We Handle
There are many different types of personal injury cases. When choosing a Pittsburgh injury lawyer to represent you, it’s important to find someone who has handled cases like yours. Munley Law has successfully secured compensation for victims of the following types of personal injury cases:
- Pittsburgh car accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh truck accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh motorcycle accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh pedestrian accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh workers’ compensation lawyer
- Pittsburgh bicycle accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh rideshare accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh Uber accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh Lyft accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh brain injury lawyer
- Pittsburgh catastrophic injury lawyer
- Pittsburgh nursing home abuse lawyer
- Pittsburgh premises liability lawyer
- Pittsburgh bus accident lawyer
- Pittsburgh slip and fall lawyer
- Pittsburgh construction accident lawyer
Caroline Munley
Caroline Munley is one of the Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania as ranked by the National Trial Lawyers Association. A fierce and compassionate voice for medical malpractice victims, Caroline has, in her career as a medical malpractice lawyer, assisted in several multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts. Caroline has additionally been twice honored by the National Trial Lawyers Association in Pennsylvania, once as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and second as a Top 25 Women Trial Lawyer.
