Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Serving Philadelphia

Receiving a cerebral palsy diagnosis for your child changes everything. In a moment, the future you imagined is replaced by a new reality filled with questions, doctor’s appointments, and a profound concern for your child’s well-being. The guidance of dedicated Cerebral Palsy lawyers serving Philadelphia can illuminate the path forward, helping you secure the justice and resources your family needs.

This news can feel isolating and terrifying for families across Philadelphia. You may be wondering how this happened and what you can do to provide the best possible life for your child.

Often, parents are told that cerebral palsy is an unavoidable outcome. But in many cases, this condition is the direct result of a preventable medical error during birth. If you suspect your child’s cerebral palsy was caused by a mistake, you deserve answers and accountability. At ABC Law Centers, we are here to be your advocates on this journey.

A cerebral palsy lawsuit is one of the most complex types of medical malpractice claims. It requires a law firm with a deep, focused understanding of the intricate medical science behind brain injuries and the specific legal strategies needed to succeed. A general practice law firm may not have the experience or resources to handle such a demanding case.

ABC Law Centers (American Baby and Child Law Centers) was founded with a single, clear purpose: to help children and families affected by birth injuries. Cerebral palsy cases are at the very heart of what we do.

Here is what makes our firm the right choice for your family:

• Exclusive Focus, Extensive Experience: Since 1997, our work has been dedicated exclusively to birth injury law. This sharp focus means we have spent decades handling cases involving cerebral palsy, giving us a comprehensive understanding of the evidence, the experts, and the arguments needed to win.
• National Resources with Local Dedication: Our firm helps families across the United States.  To best serve our clients in Philadelphia, we partner with trusted local Pennsylvania attorneys.  We will travel to you during your case and provide insights from our focused experience alongside local counsel.
• A Commitment to Lifetime Care: We know this is about more than a lawsuit; it is about your child’s entire future. Our record includes numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements that provide families with the financial security needed for a lifetime of therapy, medical care, and adaptive support. 
• A Partnership Built on Compassion: We understand the emotional and financial toll a birth injury takes. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no fees unless we recover compensation for you. Our team is here to listen, support, and fight for you every step of the way. 

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term for a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. While some cases have other origins, a significant number of CP diagnoses are linked directly to preventable brain damage that occurred during labor, delivery, or shortly after birth.

When this damage is caused by a healthcare provider’s failure to meet the accepted standard of care, it is medical malpractice. A successful CP lawsuit can provide the means to give your child access to the best possible care and resources for their life.

One of the most common causes of cerebral palsy is a type of brain injury called Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). HIE occurs when a baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen and blood flow for a period of time. This oxygen deprivation can lead to brain damage, including in the parts of the brain that control movement.  Consequently, HIE is often associated with permanent motor impairments like cerebral palsy.

HIE is not just a random event. It is often the direct result of a medical professional’s negligence, such as:

• Failing to detect and respond to signs of fetal distress on the heart monitor.
• Unnecessarily delaying a medically critical emergency C-section.
• Mismanaging problems with the umbilical cord, such as a prolapse or compression.
• Improperly using labor-inducing drugs like Pitocin, which can cause strong, frequent contractions that  cut off the baby’s oxygen supply.
• Failing to properly manage a high-risk pregnancy.

Beyond HIE, other medical errors can lead to brain damage that causes cerebral palsy. These include:

• Untreated Maternal Infections: Failure to diagnose and treat infections like Group B Strep (GBS) can allow the infection to pass to the baby, causing meningitis or sepsis, which can lead to brain damage.
• Untreated Jaundice (Kernicterus): Severe newborn jaundice, if not properly managed, can lead to a buildup of bilirubin in the brain, causing a type of preventable brain damage called kernicterus.
• Birth Trauma: The improper or forceful use of delivery instruments like forceps or a vacuum extractor can cause direct trauma to the baby’s head and brain.
• Failure to Treat a Fetal Stroke: Newborns can suffer strokes around the time of birth, and a failure to diagnose and treat them promptly can result in permanent brain injury.

After receiving a cerebral palsy diagnosis, you may be replaying the events of your labor and delivery, searching for answers. Certain events during labor and in the immediate newborn period can be strong indicators that a preventable injury occurred.

Consider if your birth experience included any of the following red flags:

• Your baby needed to be resuscitated at birth or was put on a ventilator.
• Your baby experienced seizures within the first hours or days of life.
• Your baby received cooling therapy (hypothermia therapy) in the NICU. This is a treatment used specifically for HIE.
• The delivery was chaotic or frantic, or there was a long, unexplained delay before an emergency C-section was performed.
• Your baby was born limp, floppy, or with a blue or gray skin tone.
• Your child’s APGAR scores were very low at one and five minutes after birth.
• Your baby required a long stay in the NICU, like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

If any of these situations sound familiar, it is crucial to have the medical records reviewed by a team that understands the connection between these events and a cerebral palsy diagnosis.

Identifying the responsible parties in a cerebral palsy case is a complex process that demands a full legal and medical investigation. Often, malpractice is not the result of a single error, but a cascade of failures by multiple individuals and even the hospital itself.

In a cerebral palsy lawsuit in Philadelphia, the following parties may be held legally liable:

• Obstetricians and Physicians: The doctor overseeing the delivery has a primary duty to monitor for signs of distress and act decisively. A failure to perform a timely C-section, recognize complications, or properly manage labor can be a direct cause of the brain injury that leads to cerebral palsy.
• Nurses and Midwives: Labor and delivery nurses are tasked with the critical job of monitoring the mother and baby. If they fail to recognize signs of fetal distress on a heart monitor strip or neglect to communicate urgent concerns to the physician, they can be held liable for their negligence.
• Hospitals and Medical Systems: Philadelphia hospitals can be held responsible for institutional failures. This includes a lack of proper safety protocols, inadequate staff training on emergency procedures, or failing to have enough staff on duty to handle a crisis.
• Anesthesiologists: An error in administering an epidural or other anesthesia can cause a dangerous drop in the mother’s blood pressure, which can restrict oxygen flow to the baby and result in HIE and cerebral palsy.

The legal team at ABC Law Centers works with a network of world-class medical experts to thoroughly analyze every aspect of your child’s care, ensuring every at-fault party is identified and held accountable.

While no amount of money can undo your child’s injury, a successful cerebral palsy lawsuit is a powerful tool for securing your child’s future. The financial compensation is intended to provide your child with the resources needed to live a full, supported, and dignified life.

This compensation is carefully calculated to cover a lifetime of needs, including:

• Medical Care: All past and future medical expenses, including surgeries, doctor visits, hospitalizations, and medication.
• Therapeutic Support: The cost of essential therapies such as physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapy.
• Mobility and Adaptive Equipment: Funds for wheelchairs, walkers, communication devices, specialized computer software, and other assistive technology.
• Home and Vehicle Modifications: The cost of making your home accessible with ramps, lifts, and modified bathrooms, as well as the cost of an accessible vehicle.
• Attendant Care: The cost of hiring in-home nursing or personal care assistants to help with daily activities.
• Special Education: Resources for tutoring, specialized schools, and other educational support.
• Pain, Suffering, and Lost Quality of Life: Compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress your child endures, as well as their loss of the ability to participate in and enjoy life’s activities.

Our goal is to fight for the settlement or verdict needed to cover your child’s care for the rest of their life.

At ABC Law Centers, we are committed to providing access to justice for every family, regardless of their financial situation. We handle all cerebral palsy cases on a contingency fee basis.

This means:

• You pay absolutely nothing upfront.
• We cover all the costs of litigation, from filing fees to paying for needed medical and other experts.
• We only receive a fee if we win your case. Our payment is a percentage of the compensation we recover for you. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing for our legal efforts.

This allows you to have the best possible legal representation for your child without financial risk.

My doctor said my child’s cerebral palsy was unavoidable. Do I still have a case?
You may. It is very common for healthcare providers to describe a birth injury as an unavoidable complication. However, a detailed review of the medical records by an independent medical expert often reveals that the injury was, in fact, preventable. It is always worth getting a second opinion from a legal team that focuses on these cases.

How long does a cerebral palsy lawsuit take?
These cases are complex and can take several years to resolve. The process involves extensive investigation, discovery, and negotiations. While we always strive for an efficient resolution, our primary goal is to secure a result that provides for your child’s entire life, and we will not rush the process at the expense of your child’s future.

What kind of evidence is needed to prove a cerebral palsy case?
The most critical evidence includes the complete medical records for both mother and baby, including fetal heart monitor strips, doctor’s notes, and lab results. We also rely on expert testimony from highly qualified medical professionals (like obstetricians, neonatologists, and neurologists) who can explain how the standard of care was breached.

Can I get help if my child is older and was diagnosed with CP years ago?
Yes. Due to Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for minors, you generally have until your child’s 20th birthday to file a claim. Even if your child is a toddler, school-aged, or a teenager, it is not too late to investigate the circumstances of their birth.

Your child’s cerebral palsy diagnosis is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of a new journey, and you do not have to face it alone. Securing your child’s future is the most important thing you can do, and our firm is here to help you do it. The team at ABC Law Centers has the focused experience, the national resources, and the unwavering commitment to fight for the compensation your child deserves.

Take the first step toward answers and accountability. Contact us today for a free, confidential, and compassionate evaluation of your case. Let us advocate for your child and your family.