Cerebral Palsy Lawyer in Baltimore

Cerebral palsy often results from preventable medical errors during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. If your child has developed the condition due to medical negligence, your family deserves compensation. A Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyer can help you file a claim.

Since 2003, Birth Injury Lawyers Group has recovered more than $750 million for families like yours. If your child has developed cerebral palsy due to medical negligence, our Maryland cerebral palsy lawyers can help you pursue financial compensation. Call today for a free case evaluation.

Our Compassionate Baltimore Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Offer Full Legal Services

In 2002, founding attorney Robert Goldwater’s wife gave birth to triplets nearly four months prematurely. All three children required feeding tubes after birth, and two were later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Inspired by his family’s experience, Robert founded the Birth Injury Lawyers Group in 2003 to provide support to families affected by birth injuries.

Although his children’s disabilities were not the result of medical malpractice, the experience gave him a firsthand understanding of the challenges families face after a birth injury. It also strengthened his commitment to helping parents whose children were harmed by preventable medical mistakes seek answers.

If you believe your child has suffered a birth injury, our Baltimore cerebral palsy attorneys can:

• Investigate: We can analyze hospital records, fetal monitoring strips, and obstetrician notes for signs of negligence.
• Work with medical experts: Our attorneys can collaborate with pediatric neurologists, obstetricians, and neonatologists to determine if proper standards of care were upheld.
• Calculate your damages: Our team can assess the lifetime financial impact of your child’s cerebral palsy, including therapy, surgeries, caregiving, and lost earning capacity.
• Negotiate with insurance companies: Your lawyer can engage in strategic settlement discussions to seek fair compensation.
• Represent you in court: If a settlement can’t be reached, we can file a lawsuit and advocate for you at trial.

Our Maryland birth injury lawyers provide guidance and support at every step of the legal process. While no legal outcome can change the past, a successful claim can provide the support and security your family needs for the future.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement, posture, and muscle tone. It’s caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain, often before or during birth.

Cerebral palsy is non-progressive, meaning it doesn’t get worse over time, but the symptoms can change as a child grows. It is the most common motor disability in children.

There are several types of cerebral palsy, including:

• Spastic cerebral palsy: The most common type of CP, this causes stiff muscles, tight joints, and exaggerated reflexes that can make movement difficult.
• Dyskinetic cerebral palsy: This type involves involuntary movements, such as twisting, jerking, or slow writhing motions, which can affect the hands, arms, legs, and face.
• Ataxic cerebral palsy: This type of CP affects balance and coordination. As a result, children who develop it may struggle with walking, fine motor skills, and precise movements.
• Mixed cerebral palsy: This type combines symptoms from more than one category. Children with mixed CP may experience both spasticity and involuntary movements.

The Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

Symptoms of CP often become apparent within the first year of life, though children with milder cases may not be diagnosed until later.

Some of the most common symptoms of cerebral palsy are:

• Delays in reaching developmental milestones (like sitting, crawling, or walking)
• Abnormal muscle tone (too stiff or too floppy)
• Poor coordination or balance
• Difficulty with speech or swallowing
• Seizures
• Favoring one side of the body

Baltimore Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Near Me (800) 222-9529

Common Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy develops when a baby’s developing brain is damaged before, during, or shortly after birth. While some cases are linked to factors that cannot be prevented, others result from complications that could have been avoided with timely and appropriate medical care. 

Common causes of cerebral palsy include:

• Oxygen deprivation (birth asphyxia)
• Brain bleeds (intracranial hemorrhage)
• Maternal infections (such as rubella or cytomegalovirus)
• Premature birth or low birth weight
• Prolonged or difficult labor
• Failure to perform a timely C-section

Our Baltimore cerebral palsy attorneys will investigate the circumstances leading to your child’s diagnosis to determine what caused the condition. Then, we will outline your options for compensation and walk you through your next steps.

Medical Malpractice Can Cause Cerebral Palsy

Not every case of cerebral palsy is caused by medical malpractice, but preventable medical errors during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or the newborn period can lead to permanent brain damage that results in the condition.

Medical malpractice can cause CP when doctors or nurses:

• Ignore signs of fetal distress
• Fail to monitor oxygen levels during labor
• Delay necessary emergency interventions, such as a C-section
• Use delivery tools like forceps or vacuum extractors improperly
• Allow umbilical cord issues to go unaddressed

When these mistakes result in reduced oxygen to the baby’s brain (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy), the result can be permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy.

Doctors and nurses are responsible for keeping a close eye on both the mother and baby, recognizing warning signs, and responding quickly when complications develop.

When they miss those warning signs or fail to take the right action in time, the consequences can be life-changing, leaving a child with injuries that may have been prevented.

Available Compensation in a Cerebral Palsy Case

Caring for a child with cerebral palsy often involves significant financial and emotional challenges that can last a lifetime. When the condition is caused by medical negligence, families may seek compensation for the full impact of the injury.

Families may be entitled to several types of compensation in a cerebral palsy lawsuit, including:

• Medical expenses: You can recover compensation for the medical costs associated with your child’s diagnosis, treatment, surgeries, and ongoing care.
• Therapy and rehabilitation: You can receive compensation for the physical, occupational, and speech therapy your child may need throughout their life.
• Home and vehicle modifications: You can seek reimbursement for necessary changes to your home and vehicle to accommodate your child’s needs.
• Lost earning capacity: You can recover damages if your child is expected to be unable to earn an income in adulthood due to their disability.
• Pain and suffering: You can obtain compensation for the physical discomfort and emotional hardship you and your child have endured.
• Punitive damages: In cases where the medical provider’s actions were especially reckless or egregious, you can recover punitive damages.

Every cerebral palsy case is unique, and the compensation available depends on the severity of the child’s injuries. Our experienced birth injury attorneys in Baltimore can work with medical and financial experts to calculate the full value of your family’s losses and pursue the maximum compensation available.

What Is the Average Settlement for Cerebral Palsy?

Since every case is unique, there is no average settlement for cerebral palsy lawsuits. Some families receive payouts in the low six figures, while others secure multi-million-dollar settlements or verdicts. A Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyer can evaluate your case and provide a specific estimate.

Do I Have a Cerebral Palsy Case?

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you may be wondering whether the condition could have been prevented. Not every diagnosis gives rise to a legal claim, but if a healthcare provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

You may have a birth injury case if:

• Your child was diagnosed with CP shortly after birth.
• You suspect something went wrong during labor or delivery.
• Your child experienced seizures, had trouble breathing, or required NICU care.
• There were complications such as prolonged labor or fetal distress.
• A doctor or hospital has not been transparent about what happened.

If you’re unsure about whether you have a viable case, our Baltimore birth injury lawyers can review your situation and determine whether medical negligence occurred. We will tell you everything you need to know to make informed decisions about your case.

Maryland Has a Statute of Limitations for Birth Injury Cases

In Maryland, the statute of limitations for parents filing a medical malpractice or birth injury lawsuit is generally five years from the date of the injury or three years from the date of discovery of the injury (whichever comes first). If the child is the one filing the claim, they have until their 21st birthday to do so.

The sooner you call our cerebral palsy lawyers in Baltimore, the more time we can spend strengthening your claim. After reviewing your case, we can determine the deadlines that apply to your claim.

Our Baltimore Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Can Help Prove Medical Negligence in a Birth Injury Case

To succeed in a cerebral palsy lawsuit, your lawyer must prove medical negligence, meaning your child’s doctor or healthcare provider deviated from accepted medical standards and directly caused the injury.

To establish negligence, our Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyers will focus on:

• Duty of care: Our Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyers will first establish that the healthcare provider owed a professional duty of care to you and your baby. Medical professionals are required to provide treatment that meets the accepted standard of care throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the newborn period.
• Breach of duty: We will investigate whether a healthcare provider failed to meet that standard by making preventable mistakes.
• Causation: It is not enough to show that a medical error occurred. We must also prove that the provider’s negligence directly caused your child’s brain injury and cerebral palsy. Our legal team works with respected medical experts to demonstrate how the negligent care led to your child’s condition.
• Damages: Finally, we will document the full extent of the harm your family has suffered.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Birth Injury?

A birth injury can result from the negligence of one or more healthcare providers involved in a pregnancy, labor, delivery, or a newborn’s medical care.

Identifying every liable party is an important part of building a strong birth injury claim and pursuing the full compensation your family needs for your child’s future.

Several parties may be held liable for a birth injury that leads to cerebral palsy, including:

• Obstetricians and gynecologists if they failed to properly monitor or manage labor and delivery.
• Nurses and medical staff if they neglected to report warning signs or used equipment improperly.
• The hospital if systemic failures or understaffing contributed to the injury.
• Medical device manufacturers if a defective medical device contributed to the birth injury.

As your Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyers, we will conduct an in-depth investigation to determine who is responsible for your child’s condition. Our team will identify all your options for compensation, so you can fully recover.

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit?

Every birth injury lawsuit is different. Some cases settle in under a year, while others take several years. Our cerebral palsy attorneys in Baltimore can evaluate your situation and explain what you can expect.

Some factors that will influence your case’s timeline include:

• The complexity of the medical issues
• The willingness of defendants to settle
• Availability of expert witnesses
• Court schedules and litigation delays

Contact an Experienced Cerebral Palsy Attorney in Baltimore

A CP diagnosis is life-changing for your child. The stress is only compounded when you know it could’ve been prevented. If you believe your child’s condition was caused by medical negligence, a Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyer from Birth Injury Lawyers Group can help you build a strong case and secure the damages your family needs.

Schedule a free consultation to start pursuing justice for your child. We will answer all your questions and help you make confident decisions about your case. Together, we can protect your child’s future.