Of the 82 firms that show cerebral palsy work on our 48 city lists in the United States, Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law scores highest on malpractice focus, published results, client reviews and experience, followed by Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf and Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore. Each firm keeps its best score from the cities it serves; open a city for its full list.
Best Cerebral Palsy Lawyers in the United States
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This spot goes to one firm for a year. It's shown first, above everyone below, and labeled Featured.
4.7226 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 226 reviews
Best for: Infant brain injury claims
For birth trauma resulting in brain damage, Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law publishes a $7 million result; it also reports $6 million for infant hypoxic brain injury. Because of those results and its 1978 founding, it leads this list.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.6115 Google reviewsRated 4.6 out of 5 on Google from 115 reviews
Best for: Documented cerebral palsy trial results
For a Brooklyn child with cerebral palsy, Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf publishes a verdict of $90,939,857. A failure to diagnose placental abruption led to the claim.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.632 Google reviewsRated 4.6 out of 5 on Google from 32 reviews
Best for: Major published birth injury results
In cases involving New York City public hospitals, Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore publishes a birth injury result of $130 million and a brain injury result of $121 million.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.851 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 51 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and multilingual support
Among Hastings Law Firm's published results are an $8 million birth injury settlement and a $19.75 million failure-to-diagnose settlement. Its place on this list rests on those results and its focus on malpractice.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.988 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 88 reviews
Best for: Delayed C-section injury claims
After a failure to perform a timely C-section led to cerebral palsy, Law Offices of Judy Greenwood PC reports a result exceeding $7 million. That makes it relevant here.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Cerebral palsy lawyers by state
The rules change from one state to the next, so the lawyers near you are the ones to call.
A malpractice review may be warranted if a preventable birth injury, such as oxygen deprivation or an untreated infection, caused your child's cerebral palsy. Having that diagnosis doesn't establish negligence. To find out whether you have a basis for a claim, a lawyer in your state can review the care your child received.
First, get the medical explanation. To understand what the diagnosis means for your child, ask the treating clinician what's known about its cause. A lawyer who handles birth injury cases can then review the care around birth if something about it concerns you. Before you call, you don't need a finished legal argument.
Understanding the diagnosis and the possible birth injury
Don't treat the diagnosis as the suspected error. While cerebral palsy is the condition, oxygen deprivation or an untreated infection may be the injury or event you think led to it. That connection needs examination during a legal review. Assuming it won't do.
When oxygen is lacking, that's oxygen deprivation. If an infection didn't receive treatment, it was untreated. Even if you raise either concern, that doesn't establish that it happened during your child's care or could have been prevented. Nor does raising it establish that it caused the diagnosis. To find out what the medical record supports, ask the treating clinician.
If care before delivery concerns you, you may also have questions about decisions during birth. For a broader starting point, there's the birth injury page. The obstetrical malpractice page is another place to turn if you're concerned about the obstetrical care your child received.
How a suspected error needs to be examined
Whether something went wrong is only part of a review. Before assessing what response the circumstances called for, the lawyer needs to examine what happened and when the care team knew about it. Ask which records would help the lawyer assess your concern if you suspect oxygen deprivation.
Explain why you believe an infection was present if you suspect it went untreated. A record might mention it, or perhaps someone discussed it with you. If a clinician told you something later, keep that separate from your memories. With that distinction, the lawyer has a clearer place to start, and you don't have to interpret the medical findings yourself.
Ask about warning signs, rather than assuming them
To find out whether warning signs appear in your child's records, ask the treating clinician. When the legal review begins, ask whether those findings called for a response, then whether the records show what the care team actually did. Questions about your child's care can't be answered by a general symptom list.
If you raised concerns at the time, write down who heard them and what you remember being told. If details are uncertain, say so. Contact the treating clinician if you're worried about your child's health right now. If there's a current health concern, don't wait for a legal consultation.
To understand the applicable standard of care, ask the lawyer what care should have been provided in the circumstances your child faced. Whether the care actually given fell short must then be addressed in the review. That question isn't answered just because the birth was difficult. A serious diagnosis doesn't answer it, either.
Whether it caused harm is separate. Even if an error is found, the lawyer needs to assess whether that error caused the injury the claim is about. Where your child's diagnosis fits the medical history is worth asking. If questions need an expert witness's assessment, the lawyer should explain which ones do.
Harm must be addressed in the review, too. When you explain your child's care needs and how they affect your family, don't assume every expense can be included in a claim. To understand which losses may be considered, ask a lawyer in your state what documents you'd need to support each of them.
When you ask about the standard of care, ask what the care team should have done at the point that concerns you.
To understand causation, ask the lawyer how the suspected error might be connected to the condition your child has.
When discussing harm, ask which records the lawyer would need to assess the expenses of caring for your child.
You can also read about hospital and nursing negligence if your concern involves hospital staff, not just an individual clinician. When you talk to the lawyer, explain what you know about each person's role in the care. Who would be legally responsible isn't something you need to guess.
Prepare for a cerebral palsy case review
A practical starting sequence
1
Write a short account
When you describe the care that concerns you, say when you first learned of the diagnosis. Include any known dates. If you remember a detail rather than have it in a record, say so.
2
Gather what you already have
If you already have medical records or written communications, set them aside. When you ask what else the firm wants, check whether it needs the delivery notes. Before making that first call, don't feel you need to put together a perfect file.
3
Ask about the filing deadline immediately
When you give the lawyer the dates you know, say where the care happened. Before a longer review begins, ask whether the firm will assess the deadline. To assess that deadline, what does the firm need from you?
4
Clarify what happens after the consultation
Has the firm agreed to investigate, or does it need more information from you? Clarify whether it's declining the matter, too. Before moving on, get a clear explanation of the next step and who's responsible for taking it.
Don't discard your original notes. Add a separate entry when you remember something later, rather than rewriting the earlier account so that it sounds more certain. Even if records or conversations don't fit your concern, share them. Those are things the lawyer needs to hear.
Deadlines differ by state
Waiting isn't something to assume is safe. Because statutes of limitations differ by state, a lawyer needs to assess which rules apply to the situation your child is in. To start looking for help in the state where the care occurred, you can turn to the U.S. state pages.
Could rules concerning a child's claim affect the filing deadline? Ask the lawyer. Using only the diagnosis date won't tell you the deadline. Don't assume you have an extension just because of your child's age, either. Because this page gives general information rather than legal advice, ask a lawyer in your state how the rules apply to your situation.
What published lawyer pages tell you
When you read a firm's page, it may mention cerebral palsy matters or offer an initial consultation. Negligence in your child's care isn't established by that description. Rather than using the descriptions below to predict what might happen in your case, use them to decide which questions to ask the firm.
Published descriptions of cerebral palsy services
Firm
What its page says
Source URL
Stalwart Law
Its California page discusses cerebral palsy stemming from a birth injury and seeking compensation for therapy and care.
Ask how the firm wants sensitive records sent before you share any of them. When you find out who will review the matter, also ask whether the firm handles cases in the state involved. Even if a page describes services in one location, it doesn't settle every question about jurisdiction.
Questions about fees and the proposed claim
Get the proposed fee agreement by asking for it in writing. When the firm explains legal fees, ask it to separate them from case expenses. If no claim is filed or there's no recovery, that explanation should include who pays the expenses. Even if the consultation is free, it doesn't tell you the terms of an agreement for representation later.
To decide whether to proceed, what does the lawyer need next? Ask them to use ordinary language when explaining the suspected error. Ask what information could clear up the answer if it's still uncertain. Until the lawyer has the information needed, don't press for a prediction.
What to do next
When you begin your short account, include a question about the deadline. As you describe the care that concerns you, tell the firm that your child has cerebral palsy. Will it review a possible birth injury claim? Ask that directly. To follow up, the lawyer can tell you which documents to send.
Can cerebral palsy be the basis of a medical malpractice claim?
If a preventable birth injury caused the condition and the circumstances support a malpractice claim, it may be a basis for one. During a review, you can bring up concerns about oxygen deprivation or an infection that went untreated. Having the diagnosis doesn't, by itself, establish negligence. To assess the standard of care and the proposed causal connection, ask a lawyer in your state to review them. When reviewing the claim, the lawyer also needs to address the harm.
How do I know whether my child's cerebral palsy involved a birth injury?
To understand what's known about the cause in your child's case, ask the treating clinician which records support the medical explanation. A birth injury lawyer can review the care if it still concerns you after that discussion. If you heard medical explanations later, keep them separate from your memories. Before you contact a lawyer, you don't have to work out the cause yourself.
What records should I bring to a cerebral palsy lawyer?
Along with a short account of your concerns, bring the records and written communications you already have. When you ask which other records the firm wants, check whether it needs the delivery notes. Include any known dates. While you collect the documents, don't wait to ask about the filing deadline, and clearly label any memories you aren't certain about.
How long do I have to file a cerebral palsy malpractice lawsuit?
Your state affects the deadline. Because filing periods vary, this page can't give you one that applies everywhere. To assess your situation, ask a lawyer in the state where the care occurred about any rules concerning a child's claim as well. A diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean the clock has just started. If you're looking for local counsel, the U.S. state pages offer a place to start.
Can a cerebral palsy claim seek payment for therapy and care?
When you talk with the reviewing lawyer, bring up those expenses. For birth injury matters involving cerebral palsy, Stalwart Law's California page describes seeking compensation to pay for therapy and care. That doesn't promise anything about your case. To find out which expenses your state's rules may allow, ask what records you'd need to support them.
Is an initial consultation with a cerebral palsy lawyer free?
You'll see some firms advertise free consultations. While Sommers Schwartz's Southfield page describes a free, confidential consultation, Wilson Law's Washington, D.C. page offers a free consultation. Before scheduling, confirm with the firm what the terms are. Ask separately about legal fees and case expenses if the firm later offers to represent your family.
