Dearborn, Michigan Birth Injury Attorneys

Welcoming a child into the world should be one of the most joyful and fulfilling moments of your life. Yet, for some families, this cherished occasion takes a devastating turn because of preventable medical mistakes. If your baby has suffered a birth injury in Dearborn due to medical negligence, your life has likely been turned upside down. You have questions, concerns, and uncertainty about the future. At ABC Law Centers, our birth injury lawyers understand the intense emotions and challenges that come with navigating a birth injury diagnosis. That’s why we’re here to help.

For over 25 years, our team of compassionate attorneys and in-house nurses has been dedicated exclusively to birth injury cases. We help families across the nation, including here in our Michigan headquarters, pursue justice for their children and ensure they receive the lifelong care and support they deserve. Contact one of our Dearborn birth injury lawyers today to discuss your case and options for financial recovery.

At ABC Law Centers, we focus on birth injury cases only. Our team has helped families like yours secure justice and the resources their children need to thrive. This dedication allows us to bring unmatched knowledge and experience to every case we handle.

Our firm is unique in its collaborative approach. We have in-house registered nurses who work closely with our attorneys to evaluate medical records and identify negligence. Their insights, combined with consultations from top medical experts, life care planners, and forensic specialists, ensure no detail is overlooked in building a strong case for your family.

We understand the financial worries families face when raising a child with a birth injury. That’s why we operate on a contingency fee basis—you pay no fees unless we recover compensation in your case. This approach lets you focus on your child’s care while we fight for the compensation you deserve.

Whether your case involves hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, or another birth injury, you can count on us to provide compassionate guidance and relentless legal advocacy.

At ABC Law Centers, we know this isn’t just about a lawsuit; it’s about securing a brighter and more stable future for your child. Contact us today to learn how we can help.

A birth injury is any injury that a child sustains during the labor and delivery process, or shortly before or after delivery.

Unlike congenital conditions, which are caused by genetics or issues that arise during pregnancy, birth injuries typically occur due to complications during labor and delivery. Unfortunately, many birth injuries are caused by medical negligence or malpractice. This negligence can take many forms, from delayed action during an emergency to improper use of medical tools like forceps or vacuum extractors.

Unfortunately, the consequences of a birth injury can last a lifetime. Babies who experience oxygen deprivation, for example, may develop lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy or learning disabilities. Understanding how these injuries occur is key to recognizing when malpractice may have occurred.

• Birth injuries often happen because of errors made by healthcare providers before, during, or immediately after delivery. Examples of situations where medical negligence may lead to a birth injury include:
  • Failure to Monitor Fetal Distress
    Medical staff are responsible for monitoring both the baby and mother throughout labor and delivery. If signs of fetal distress, such as irregular heart rates, go unnoticed or unaddressed, it can lead to oxygen deprivation and brain injury.
  • Delayed Emergency C-Section
    Some births require an immediate cesarean section to protect the baby and mother. Failing to perform a timely C-section can result in harmful outcomes, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) or other complications.
  • Improper Use of Tools
    Instruments like forceps and vacuum extractors are sometimes used during delivery. Misusing these tools can result in physical injuries, skull fractures, or nerve damage.
  • Medication Mismanagement
    The improper use of labor-inducing drugs, such as Pitocin, can cause dangerously strong uterine contractions, leading to complications for the baby.

  At ABC Law Centers, we thoroughly investigate the details of each case to determine whether negligence played a role in causing your child’s birth injury.

Birth injuries resulting from medical negligence come in many forms, each with its own medical and legal complexities. Some common types of birth injuries include:

• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
  HIE occurs when a baby’s brain experiences oxygen deprivation during labor or delivery. This can lead to brain damage, developmental delays, and epilepsy. Babies who receive cooling therapy immediately after birth may have experienced HIE.
• Cerebral Palsy
  Often linked to oxygen deprivation or traumatic delivery, cerebral palsy affects a child’s motor skills, muscle tone, and posture.
• Neonatal Seizures
  Seizures in newborns are a potential sign of brain injury. Early recognition and treatment are essential to manage the long-term effects of neonatal seizures.
• Brachial Plexus Injuries
  This type of injury occurs when nerves between the neck and shoulder are stretched or torn during delivery, often due to excessive force.
• Brain Injury Involving Long NICU Stays
  Infants with extended stays in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may have experienced a birth injury. If your child also needed resuscitation or brain imaging done, doctors likely investigated for a brain injury, which can cause lifelong challenges. 

Identifying the type and cause of your child’s birth injury is complex but necessary to pursue a claim. That’s why our experienced team works tirelessly to ensure every detail is accounted for.

When medical negligence leads to a birth injury, it’s important to determine who is responsible. Understanding liability can ensure that those who acted carelessly are held accountable.

The majority of birth injury cases are tied to errors made by medical professionals, including:

• Doctors (e.g., Obstetricians): Oversights such as failing to perform a timely C-section or improperly managing complications can lead to birth injuries.
• Nurses: Labor and delivery nurses play a vital role in monitoring both mother and baby. Miscommunication, misjudgment, or neglect can compound issues during delivery.
• Midwives: Although trained for natural deliveries, errors or delays by midwives in recognizing complications can be life-altering.

Dearborn is also home to the very large Oakwood Health System, and Oakwood’s hospitals and clinics are located throughout metro Detroit. Oakwood hospitals have won numerous awards, including one for their pediatric department. Even award-winning hospitals, however, can be the site of medical malpractice and injuries to newborn babies. 

In some cases, larger entities such as hospitals or healthcare systems may also bear responsibility. Factors like low staffing levels, insufficient training, or lack of necessary diagnostic tools can directly increase the risk of medical negligence. Our attorneys will hold large healthcare systems and hospitals accountable for creating an environment where medical negligence was inevitable.

Proving negligence in a birth injury case is a detailed and methodical process. At ABC Law Centers, we know that your focus is on caring for your child, so we work diligently to uncover evidence and build a strong case on your behalf. Here’s how we approach this:

1. Detailed Case Review
   Our attorneys, alongside our in-house nursing staff, thoroughly review your medical records to identify potential errors or lapses in care. Evidence such as fetal monitoring strips, labor notes, and post-birth evaluations often reveals critical details.
2. Consulting Medical Experts
   We partner with leading medical experts to interpret complex medical information. These professionals provide additional support and testimony to demonstrate where negligence occurred.
3. Establishing the Standard of Care
   To prove malpractice, we must show that the healthcare provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care. This means identifying how a competent professional in the same circumstances would have acted and showing how your provider deviated from that standard.
4. Connecting Injuries to Negligence
   Finally, we link the provider’s negligence to your child’s injury, showing that their actions (or lack thereof) directly caused harm.

Holding negligent providers accountable is about more than seeking financial compensation. It’s about ensuring your child gets the resources they need to thrive despite their challenges. It’s about preventing future harm to other families. Most importantly, it’s about justice for your little one.

Families affected by birth injuries caused by medical negligence may be entitled to several types of compensation, including:

• Medical Expenses: Coverage for past, current, and future medical bills, including hospital stays, surgeries, therapy, and specialized care.
• Rehabilitation Costs: Compensation for physical, occupational, or speech therapy needed to support your child’s development.
• Home Modifications and Equipment: Funds for necessary home adjustments, such as wheelchair ramps, or medical devices like ventilators and communication aids.
• Lost Income: Reimbursement for lost income if a parent must reduce work hours or leave their job to care for their child.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life for both the child and parents.
• Future Care and Life Planning: Resources to ensure children with lifelong needs are provided for, including educational support and long-term care.

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about birth injury claims: 

Determining negligence requires an experienced legal team to review your medical records and evaluate whether healthcare providers deviated from standard medical practices. Our in-house medical staff and expert consultants can help uncover whether mistakes were made during your pregnancy, labor, or delivery.

Most birth injury cases are resolved through settlement negotiations without going to trial. However, if a fair settlement cannot be reached, our attorneys are fully prepared to represent you in court to fight for the compensation your family needs.

At ABC Law Centers, we work on a contingency fee basis—there are no upfront costs or fees. You only pay attorney’s fees if we successfully recover compensation for you, making legal support accessible to families in need.

Yes. If the malpractice occurred in Michigan, we can file your claim in Michigan courts. Our firm also handles cases nationwide and works with local counsel in other states to provide seamless support wherever you are.

If you have given birth at Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital in Dearborn, MI, or another hospital in the Dearborn area and your child was injured during birth, ABC Law Centers can help. Unlike other law firms, we only handle birth injury cases. Our Dearborn, Michigan, birth injury attorneys possess a depth of knowledge about birth injuries that few other attorneys in the state have.

Choosing the right legal team can make all the difference in achieving justice for your child. At ABC Law Centers, our dedicated birth injury lawyers can help you by:

• Investigating Your Case: Meticulously reviewing medical records to uncover evidence of medical negligence.
• Providing Professional Guidance: Collaborating with medical specialists and life care planners to determine the full impact of your child’s injury.
• Securing Compensation: Fighting for the financial resources your family needs for medical care, therapy, and ongoing support.
• Offering Compassionate Support: Walking every step of this challenging process with you, from consultation to resolution, with care and professionalism.

Your child’s future is worth fighting for. Don’t wait to seek justice and peace of mind. Contact ABC Law Centers today at (248) 593-5100 or through our online form for a free, confidential consultation with our Dearborn birth injury attorneys. You owe it to your child—and your family—to explore your legal options. 

Other cities our Michigan birth injury lawyers serve:

Detroit▪️ Ann Arbor ▪️ Lansing▪️ Southfield▪️ Grand Rapids