Price Petho & Associates is the first firm listed. The firm opened in 1979 and publishes childbirth-related work, with substantial client feedback available. Ask whether a firm has handled injuries like your child's before you call, then find out which attorney would take the file. Ask what you'd pay in fees and case costs. The North Carolina malpractice guide explains filing rules that could affect your family's claim.
4.9650 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 650 reviews
Best for: Childbirth and anesthesia injury claims
In a childbirth case published by Price Petho & Associates, errors in epidural catheter placement and management were followed by cardiac and respiratory arrest. For a client's lifetime medical care, the firm's site also reports a $9 million settlement placed in a trust. The firm opened in 1979, giving it a long history of operating in Charlotte.
Stood out in our review for its years of experience and what its clients say.
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
4.557 Google reviewsRated 4.5 out of 5 on Google from 57 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and cerebral palsy claims
Brown Moore & Associates P.L.L.C.'s clearest published birth injury result is a $4 million cerebral palsy settlement. It also reports a $2.5 million settlement for a child with an avoidable birth injury. Those specific cases support its place on this list.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes and what its clients say.
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
4.71,163 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 1163 reviews
Best for: Delayed C-section injury claims
Morgan & Morgan's site reports that a Hillsborough County jury awarded $37.8 million in 2007 to Brendan Dixon, whose delayed C-section left him with severe brain injury and lifelong disabilities. The attorneys who handled that case were Armando Lauritano and Keith Carter. That gives you a concrete birth injury result, but it isn't a result from Charlotte.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and how much of its work is medical 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
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Charlotte can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.7379 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 379 reviews
Best for: Families seeking clear explanations
Anastopoulo Law Firm's clients repeatedly describe attentive listening and clear explanations. One writes, “She made sure we understood what we needed to know.” For families trying to understand a possible claim, that feedback offers something practical to consider.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and how much of its work is medical 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
4.8192 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 192 reviews
Best for: Families seeking supportive communication
In one client's words, Speaks Law Firm, PC helped like this: “You guys made a bad situation tolerable”. Although other reviews describe honest updates and supportive service, some clients say getting a response was difficult. With offices in Charlotte and Wilmington, the firm lists birth injury and medical malpractice among its work.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and how much of its work is medical 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
When you talk to the lawyer, give the care dates and when you learned of the injury. Under North Carolina's general filing rule, you have 3 years from the defendant's last act giving rise to the claim. To check your deadline, the lawyer also needs to examine discovery and child-specific rules.
Review the medical care
Using the medical review Rule 9(j) requires, the lawyer assesses your claim. Before that review, ask which records are needed and who pays for the opinion. Even if the birth was difficult or an injury occurred, that alone doesn't supply the required certification.
Prepare and file the complaint
Before filing, the complaint must certify that someone reasonably expected to qualify as an expert reviewed the care and is willing to testify that it fell below the standard of care. To file the claim, the lawyer must also assess the applicable filing limits.
Assess a possible resolution
If settlement is possible, discuss how the firm would approach it and what evidence it needs. After mediation involving medical witnesses, a settlement was reached in a case Price Petho & Associates publishes. Your claim won't necessarily resolve the way that case did.
Consider trial if needed
Instead of settling, a claim may go to trial. Among Morgan & Morgan's published results is a birth injury jury award. Because North Carolina's cap on non-economic damages is adjusted every three years, ask how it could affect a recovery in your circumstances.
Malpractice claims in Charlotte: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in North Carolina
The clock startsOn the day of the treatment
Time to start a claim3 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most4 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in North Carolina
Pain and sufferingCapped at about $712,847
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkThe complaint must certify that the care was reviewed by a person reasonably expected to qualify as an expert who is willing to testify that it fell below the standard of care (Rule 9(j)).
A written agreementThe share the lawyer takes, set out before work starts.
If you recover moneyThe agreed share and the case costs come out of it.
If the claim failsNo legal fee on a contingency agreement. Ask about costs.
All listed firms describe contingency fees, meaning the lawyer takes a share of any recovery and charges no attorney fee if your claim fails. Case expenses are a separate charge. Ask who pays for records and medical opinions before going ahead, including who will cover the court fees. The firms' stated terms don't say who usually pays those costs up front or whether you'd owe them after an unsuccessful claim. Ask for a written fee calculation before you sign. As expenses come up, who pays them? Have the firm explain that and whether you'd owe any costs if nothing is recovered.
According to all six listed firms, they work on contingency. A free consultation is also offered by five.
What to bring to your first call
Any prenatal records you have, along with delivery notes
Information about the diagnosis, along with your child's medical records
When you learned about the injury, plus the dates of care
Which hospitals and clinicians were involved, listed by name
Details of ongoing care needs, along with medical bills
Anything the hospital or insurer sent in letters or messages
Any photos you think would help show what the injury involves
Your main questions, plus a short timeline you've written
Questions to ask a lawyer
1When have you handled birth injury claims involving circumstances like my child's?
2If I call about my file, who answers, and who's handling it?
3By what date must my child's claim be filed?
4For the review Rule 9(j) requires, what arrangements would you make?
5What calculation do you use for your contingency fee?
6If the claim fails, could I owe case costs, and who pays them otherwise?
7When should I expect updates from you?
8Before assessing a possible settlement or trial, what would you need?
Choose for your child's claim, not the rating alone
Tell the lawyer what happened to your child and which care you think caused the injury. Brown Moore & Associates P.L.L.C. publishes cerebral palsy settlements; a childbirth claim involving epidural errors appears among the cases Price Petho & Associates describes. You can use those cases to shape your questions, not to predict your family's outcome. Ask whether the lawyer has handled a similar claim if your child's delivery notes or anesthesia records raise those same issues.
Check what happened in the case behind a published result. A nursing home settlement tells you nothing about a birth injury recovery, and an out-of-town result won't tell you who handles a Charlotte file. Ask the firm which past cases involved care or injuries like your child's. The firm can explain the connection to your child's care without sharing another client's confidential information.
Ask to speak with the attorney who would handle your file before you sign an agreement.
Ask who would conduct the medical review and how the firm would meet North Carolina's Rule 9(j).
Ask how you'll get updates when reviews describe calls left unanswered or uneven follow-up.
Get the firm's explanation of who pays case costs in writing before you agree to the fees.
A free consultation means the firm says you won't pay for the first conversation you have with it. The firm hasn't accepted your case just because it agrees to talk. All listed firms describe a contingency arrangement: the lawyer's fee comes from a share of the recovery, and you owe no attorney fee if the claim fails. Records and medical opinions come with separate costs. Ask who pays those expenses up front and what you'd owe without a recovery before you go ahead.
Treat a promise about the outcome as a warning sign. A firm that won't name the attorney handling your case or explain costs in writing should also give you reason to pause. You should understand what you're signing, without having to guess at its meaning. This page gives general information rather than legal advice. A lawyer licensed in North Carolina can check your filing deadline and explain what medical review your situation calls for.
Questions people ask
How soon should I contact a Charlotte birth injury lawyer?
Get in touch promptly. You don't need every record before calling. Under North Carolina's general rule, you must file within 3 years of the defendant's last act giving rise to the claim. If an injury is discovered later, the rule allows 1 year from discovery, but no more than 4 years after the act. A North Carolina lawyer can check which of those dates sets the deadline for your claim.
Does my child have until adulthood to file?
Your child can't necessarily wait. The same 3-year and 4-year limits generally apply to children. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-17(c) and Morris v. Rodeberg, 2023, a child has until age 10 if those limits would expire before the tenth birthday. To get your child's deadline calculated, speak with a North Carolina lawyer.
What medical review does a birth injury complaint need?
To meet North Carolina's Rule 9(j), the complaint must certify that someone reasonably expected to qualify as an expert has reviewed the care. Having reviewed it, that person must be willing to testify that it fell below the standard of care. Before proceeding, ask how the lawyer would arrange that review and which delivery or anesthesia records the reviewer would need.
Can I speak with a lawyer without paying for the first consultation?
Price Petho & Associates, Morgan & Morgan, Anastopoulo Law Firm, Speaks Law Firm, PC and Schehr Law PLLC say they offer free consultations. Brown Moore & Associates P.L.L.C.'s consultation terms aren't stated. Confirm, then book. A firm hasn't agreed to represent your family just because you've had a first conversation with someone there.
Will I owe money if the claim fails?
All listed firms say they use contingency fees, so you won't owe an attorney fee if your claim fails. Case costs are charged separately. The stated terms don't tell you whether you'd have to pay expenses after an unsuccessful claim. Ask who covers records and medical opinions before signing, including who will pay the court fees. Get that answer written into the fee agreement.
How long does a birth injury claim take?
No documented timetable tells you when a claim will be finished. A filing deadline doesn't set a date by which the claim must settle or reach trial. North Carolina requires a medical review before you file the complaint, and the firms report cases that settled as well as a jury award. To understand the work ahead, ask what your claim needs and how the lawyer will keep you updated.
Does North Carolina limit malpractice damages?
In North Carolina medical malpractice cases, non-economic damages are capped, with the cap adjusted every three years. That doesn't mean there's a stated cap on every part of a recovery. To find out which losses fall within the rule and how it applies to you, ask a North Carolina lawyer. A firm's published settlement isn't a way to value your own claim.
What if my child or another loved one died?
Wrongful death is addressed by several listed firms, including Price Petho & Associates and Brown Moore & Associates P.L.L.C. When you first call the lawyer, mention the death. You can't use the filing rules on this page to establish your deadline or determine who may bring a wrongful death claim in your circumstances. For an explanation of both, ask a North Carolina lawyer.
Which firms publish results involving cerebral palsy or delivery injuries?
Among Brown Moore & Associates P.L.L.C.'s reported results are a $4 million cerebral palsy settlement and a $2.5 million avoidable birth injury settlement. For a delayed C-section case, Morgan & Morgan publishes a jury award. A childbirth claim described by Price Petho & Associates involves epidural errors. When asking about experience with cases like your child's, use these results as a starting point, not a prediction of what your family might recover.
1
