Pennsylvania Birth Injury Attorneys

Trusted legal help for children with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy (CP), and other birth injuries in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to highly-ranked obstetrics and neonatal care programs. However, even at top hospitals, medical errors may happen. When a child sustains a preventable birth injury (harm that occurs shortly before birth, during labor and delivery, or in early infancy), the impacts may last a lifetime. If your child experienced a birth injury in a Pennsylvania hospital, and now has a serious health condition or disability such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) or cerebral palsy (CP), the attorneys at ABC Law Centers can help.

Our firm is based in Michigan, but we are admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, and handle cases nationwide. We can travel to you as necessary. As one of the only law firms in the world exclusively handling birth injury/birth trauma litigation, we have thorough knowledge and experience with the complex medical aspects of these cases, and a strong network of experts at our disposal.

Our attorneys are passionate about helping families pursue justice and obtain compensation to cover their child’s medical bills, care, necessary equipment, etc. We have obtained verdicts and settlements worth millions of dollars, and clients pay nothing for any part of the legal process unless we obtain a favorable outcome. Please reach out to us (free of any cost or obligation!) in any of the following ways:

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Phone (toll-free): 866-691-2089
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Pennsylvania birth injuries

Birth injuries can be devastating and complex. Understanding them fully requires the help of professionals well-versed in the medicine behind the diagnoses. Birth injuries can be caused by numerous factors, some of which may seem unrelated, but are in fact highly interrelated. Furthermore, they may not be immediately apparent; sometimes parents begin to suspect a birth injury once a child has begun to miss key developmental milestones like crawling, making eye contact, rolling over, talking, or learning language. There are two crucial things parents must remember:

1. Birth injury is often preventable.
2. The sooner a birth injury is caught, the sooner treatment and therapy can start. The sooner intervention starts, the better long-term outcome the child will have.

There are three broad categories of events that can lead to the diagnosis of a birth injury. These can be roughly divided into ‘concerning prenatal events,’ ‘concerning events during and immediately after labor and delivery,’ and ‘concerning events during a child’s growth and development’. If these events are present, the likelihood that a child suffered a birth injury increases. Examples of these events include:

Concerning events during prenatal care and before labor

• Mother’s ‘water breaks’ early (premature rupture of membranes)
• Mother has one of these high-risk health conditions but is not referred to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for further care:
  • Diabetes/gestational diabetes
  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure/preeclampsia
  • Prior history of birth complications
  • Other health conditions that may affect pregnancy and birth
• The mother has an infection like chorioamnionitis/villitis, Group B strep, a UTI, a sexually transmitted infection (disease), or bacterial vaginosis and it isn’t caught in time
• There were issues with the umbilical cord (e.g. the cord was too long, too short, wrapped around the baby’s neck, or knotted) that weren’t detected until labor
• The baby is too small (intrauterine growth restriction, or IUGR) or too large (macrosomia) to tolerate labor well
• The mother is diagnosed with placenta previa and undergoes a vaginal birth
• The pregnancy lasted more than 40 weeks (see our page on post-term pregnancy)

Concerning events during and after labor and delivery

• The baby showed signs of fetal distress
• The baby has seizures
• The baby has an infection like herpes encephalitis, meningitis, sepsis, or pneumonia
• The baby breathed in meconium (a sticky green fecal substance) while in the womb
• The baby’s blood sugar was too low in the first few days after birth (neonatal hypoglycemia)
• The baby had jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) or kernicterus
• The baby couldn’t breathe after birth
• The baby needed a NICU stay
• The baby was diagnosed with:
  • Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
  • Fetal stroke
  • Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
  • Hydrocephalus (water on the brain)
  • Brain bleeds
• The baby got stuck during labor or could not fit safely through the birth canal (see our pages on shoulder dystocia, cephalopelvic disproportion, macrosomia, and abnormal fetal presentations)
• The baby required cooling therapy
• Attempts at vaginal labor followed by a delayed emergency C-section
• The baby didn’t cry at birth
• The baby was limp, cool, blue, pale, or unresponsive at birth
• Medical staff used forceps or a ventouse (vacuum extractor) during birth
• The mother had a mishandled placental abruption or uterine rupture
• The baby was born prematurely
• The baby’s heart rate dropped during labor
• Mother was given Pitocin or Cytotec to speed up labor

Concerning events during a child’s growth and development

• Evidence of cerebral palsy
• Developmental delays (e.g.baby doesn’t meet milestones like walking, talking, rolling over, or crawling at the expected times)
• Baby develops an early preference for one hand over another
• Child shows signs of intellectual disability

If any of these events occurred during your child’s development and growth, it may be useful to talk to a birth injury attorney to help you understand what happened and ensure your child will be well cared for throughout their lives, no matter what.

Pennsylvania hospitals and medical facilities

There are dozens of NICUs (neonatal intensive care units) located within Pennsylvania hospitals. Nearly all babies who sustain birth injuries are sent to the NICU for medical care and a range of medical procedures. Some care services and procedures offered through NICUs include therapeutic hypothermia (a kind of brain treatment that helps minimize brain damage from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy), supportive services, premature birth care, and breathing assistance. Not all NICUs are equipped to provide all kinds of care, so it’s important to research hospitals individually to see whether they can provide critical care.

Usually, level III or level IV NICUs can provide the specialized care that a baby with a birth injury needs. According to standards of medical care, all hospitals, medical centers, and birthing facilities must provide immediate access to emergency labor, delivery, and neonatal medical services such as emergency C-sections and therapeutic hypothermia. If a given medical facility does not provide these services or facilities in-house, immediate transportation to a facility that does is mandatory.

While the following is by no means a comprehensive list, there are several hospitals in Pennsylvania with Level III or IV NICU designations:

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP Newborn Care)
• Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
• Penn State Children’s Hospital:
• Lancaster Regional Medical Center
• St. Luke’s Hospital-Bethlehem Campus
• Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
• Chester County Hospital
• PinnacleHealth (Harrisburg).
• Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia and Einstein Medical Center Montgomery

Pennsylvania military hospitals

Pennsylvania is also home to a number of military hospitals. While medical malpractice litigation differs for errors occurring at military hospitals, the ABC Law Centers team is licensed to handle medical malpractice and birth trauma cases involving military medical personnel in Pennsylvania. Learn more about pursuing a case at a military hospital here.

Our experience and recognition | the Pennsylvania birth injury attorneys at ABC Law Centers

Our firm focuses only on birth injury, providing us with over 100 years of combined experience in investigating these complex medical cases. We have an extensive record of successful verdicts and settlements that demonstrate our dedication to our clients and are one of the few firms to employ in-house medical staff that focus on investigating medical records. Our attorneys have consistently been placed on top attorney listings, such as U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Lawyers in America.” Our attorneys serve as active members and leaders in groups including the Birth Trauma Litigation Group, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice, and more. Please contact us today to learn more about our awards, our settlements, and our legal process. The initial consultation involves no obligation to pursue a case, and there is no charge throughout the entire legal process unless we win!

Free Case Review  |  Available 24/7  |  No Fee Until We Win

Call our toll-free phone line at 888-419-2229
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