Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Serving Virginia

Childbirth should be a moment of pure joy and celebration, and for most Virginia families, it is. But for some, those first moments are overshadowed by stress and uncertainty—especially when a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy caused by preventable medical mistakes during labor, delivery, or shortly after birth.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong movement disorder often caused by brain damage that occurs before, during, or after delivery. In many cases, that brain damage is the direct result of medical malpractice—when doctors, nurses, or hospital staff fail to follow accepted standards of care.

If your child’s CP diagnosis was caused by medical negligence, you may be entitled to pursue a Virginia cerebral palsy lawsuit to secure the resources your child needs for a lifetime of care.

• Medical negligence: Your child’s cerebral palsy (CP) may have been caused by medical negligence during labor and delivery. Signs of negligence can include a delayed c-section, or failure to address fetal distress.
• Exclusive focus: ABC Law Centers focuses exclusively on birth injury lawsuits, including a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) from birth.
• Statute of Limitations: In Virginia, you generally have until the child’s 10th birthday to file a lawsuit for birth injury.
• How we help: Compensation from a lawsuit can cover medical care, therapies, and home modifications your child will need for life.
• No Fee Unless We Win: Starting with a free consultation, ABC Law Centers costs you nothing unless we win a verdict or settlement in your favor.

At ABC Law Centers (American Baby and Child Law Centers), we focus exclusively on birth injury cases, including those involving cerebral palsy. For more than 25 years, we have fought for families like yours across the United States. The verdicts and settlements we recover help your child have specialized therapies, medical equipment, accessible housing, and long-term care.

Our attorneys will travel to you wherever you live, and we collaborate with local counsel in states where we are not licensed. We handle every aspect of the legal work ourselves, ensuring your child’s case receives the dedication it deserves.

A consultation with our experienced legal team is completely free, and you never pay any fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Birth injury lawsuits are among the most complex cases in the legal system. They require a detailed understanding not just legal skill, but deep familiarity with of medical procedures, hospital policies, and neonatal care standards. ABC Law Centers stands out from other personal injury law firms due to our:

• Exclusive Focus – Since 1997, our attorneys have handled only birth injury cases. This means every resource, every hour, and every legal strategy we develop is devoted to helping families like yours.
• Proven Track Record – Our firm has won multiple multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for children with CP and related conditions.
• National Recognition – Our work has been honored by U.S. News & World Report – Best Law Firms in America, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Michigan Super Lawyers, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, and Leading Lawyers.
• Attorney Leadership – Founder Jesse Reiter has been named “Lawyer of the Year” in Best Lawyers in America for Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law in Troy, Michigan, and ranked #4 on the Leading Lawyers “Top 10 Med Mal Plaintiff’s Lawyers in Michigan” list. Jesse and attorney Rebecca Walsh have both served as Co-Chairs of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group and held leadership positions in state and national trial lawyer organizations.
• Expert Network – We partner with leading medical, forensic, economic, and life-care planning experts across the country. These experts help us uncover exactly what went wrong and calculate the true lifetime costs of care.
  
• Community Impact – Beyond the courtroom, Jesse Reiter founded the Reiter HIE Fund to support research at the University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics on better treatments for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, one of the leading causes of CP.

Not all cerebral palsy is preventable, but far too often, it results from errors that could and should have been avoided. Medical malpractice may occur when:

• Labor is prolonged or obstructed, and doctors fail to perform a timely C-section.
  
• Fetal distress (such as abnormal heart rate patterns) is ignored or mismanaged.
  
• Umbilical cord problems (prolapse, compression, or wrapping around the neck) are not promptly addressed.
  
• The baby is deprived of oxygen (hypoxia or asphyxia) during labor or delivery.
  
• Infections in the mother or baby go untreated.
  
• Improper use of labor-inducing drugs like Pitocin or Cytotec causes excessive contractions and oxygen deprivation.
  
• Medical staff mishandles the delivery, leading to head trauma or brain bleeds.
  
• Resuscitation efforts are delayed or inadequate.

If your child experienced any of the following at birth, it could be a sign that negligence played a role in their CP diagnosis:

• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) 
  
• Seizures within hours or days of birth
  
• Low APGAR scores (especially if your baby was limp, blue, or not breathing)
  
• Extended NICU stay (especially one week or more)
• Cooling therapy after birth
  
• Delayed motor development or muscle tone abnormalities in infancy
  
• Feeding difficulties, swallowing issues, or abnormal reflexes
  

Even if your child’s experience doesn’t match this list exactly, our attorneys can review medical records and consult with professionals to determine if malpractice occurred.

Children with cerebral palsy often require advanced neonatal care immediately after birth. Virginia is home to several top-level NICUs, but even in these facilities, errors can happen.

Level IV NICUs in Virginia:

• Inova Children’s Hospital – Falls Church
• Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU – Richmond
• Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters – Norfolk
• University of Virginia Medical Center – Charlottesville
  

Selected Level III NICUs:

• Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital – Roanoke
  
• Sentara Norfolk General Hospital – Norfolk
  
• Mary Washington Hospital – Fredericksburg
  
• Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital – Richmond
  

If your baby received NICU care in Virginia and you suspect errors in diagnosis, monitoring, or treatment, our attorneys can investigate and fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Raising a child with CP can be challenging -, emotionally, financially, and logistically. Fortunately, Virginia families have access to several supportive organizations:

• Ability Center of Virginia – This nonprofit serves children and adults with CP and other developmental disabilities across Hampton Roads, the Peninsula, Eastern Shore, and statewide. The Center provides recreational programs, advocacy, and family support.
  
• Virginia Board for People with Disabilities – A state agency that promotes public policies and practices that support independence, self-determination, and inclusion.
  
• Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) – This group offers information, training, and support for families navigating special education.
  
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) – This is a national network providing resources, advocacy, and community connections for individuals with CP and their families.
  

We know that pursuing a lawsuit can feel daunting, especially when you are already caring for a child with significant needs. At ABC Law Centers, we aim to make the process as clear and compassionate as possible. When we work together, we will:

• Listen to your story without judgment.
  
• Review your medical records with expert consultants.
  
• Explain your legal options in plain language.
  
• Handle all communications with hospitals, insurers, and opposing counsel.
  

Fight for a resolution that provides your child with lifetime care and security.

Call us at (248) 593-5100 or contact us online for your free, no-obligation case review. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you.

ABC Law Centers handles cerebral palsy birth injury cases throughout Virginia, including but not limited to:

Richmond ▪ Virginia Beach ▪ Norfolk ▪ Chesapeake ▪ Arlington ▪ Alexandria ▪ Newport News ▪ Hampton ▪ Roanoke ▪ Portsmouth ▪ Lynchburg ▪ Charlottesville ▪ Blacksburg ▪ Fredericksburg

Our attorneys will travel to meet you, collaborate with local counsel, and handle the core legal work on your case from start to finish. We bring over two decades of focused birth injury experience to your fight for justice.