Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Philadelphia, PA (2026)
This evidence-based 2026 list ranks Philadelphia birth injury lawyers using their practice focus and published results, alongside reviews and experience.
The list starts with Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law. Along with publishing birth injury results, it has a practice dating to 1978. Before calling, ask whether the firm handles the delivery problem involved and who would review your child's records. For filing rules to discuss with a lawyer, see the Pennsylvania malpractice guide.
4.7226 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 226 reviews
Best for: Delivery-related brain injury claims
Among Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law's published results is $7 million for birth trauma involving brain damage. For obstetrical malpractice during a twin delivery, its site reports $5.8 million, along with $5 million for a child injured by forceps. With a practice founded in 1978, those results support where the firm appears on this list.
Stood out in our review for its years of experience and the results it publishes.
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
Delayed C-sections appear repeatedly in results reported by Law Offices of Judy Greenwood PC. For a birth injury involving brain damage, the firm publishes $6 million, along with more than $7 million for cerebral palsy after a failure to perform a timely C-section. Another published result is $2.4 million involving vacuum and forceps delivery.
Stood out in our review for the recognition it has earned and the results it publishes.
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
4.534 Google reviewsRated 4.5 out of 5 on Google from 34 reviews
Best for: Serious injuries during labor
For an infant who suffered brain damage during labor, Eisenberg Winkler Jeck Schwartz Schoenhaus & Sherry, PC publishes an $8.9 million settlement. After a mother's uterus ruptured during childbirth, permanent newborn injuries led to a second reported settlement of $4.5 million. Rather than relying on a general statement about malpractice work, you can examine these specific birth injury cases.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes and the recognition it has earned.
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 Philadelphia can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.2100 Google reviewsRated 4.2 out of 5 on Google from 100 reviews
Best for: Families seeking Spanish-language service
Founded in 1977, Anapol Weiss has a Philadelphia office; its listed languages are English and Spanish. A birth injury settlement described on its site was against a northern New Jersey hospital and an obstetrician, along with a labor and delivery nurse. No amount appears with that result.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes and its years of experience.
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
4.73,151 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 3151 reviews
Best for: HIE and Erb's palsy inquiries
Although Pond Lehocky's 3,151 Google reviews give you a large pool of client feedback, don't read them as a record of birth injury cases. While reviewers praise prompt updates, others describe unanswered messages or say they felt unsupported. Along with covering HIE and Erb's palsy, the Philadelphia firm's site lists medical malpractice as a practice area.
Stood out in our review for the recognition it has earned 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
Tell the lawyer when you learned about the injury and its possible cause as you explain what happened. Although the discovery rule applies, Pennsylvania's general deadline for filing is 2 years. Rather than assuming the delivery date controls, have the lawyer assess your deadline.
Review the medical records
With the firm, review what the delivery notes and your child's medical records say. Before that review, ask which care decisions need a professional assessment and who'll arrange it. To meet Pennsylvania's certificate requirement, an appropriate licensed professional must provide a written statement about the care.
File the complaint and certificate
To start the court claim, you file a complaint. When you file in Pennsylvania, a certificate of merit for each defendant must accompany the complaint or follow within 60 days. It must say a licensed professional found a reasonable probability that the care fell below the standard.
Address the child's filing rule
Before relying on extra time for a child, have counsel confirm which claims qualify for it. Under the stated Pennsylvania rule, a child must sue within 7 years of malpractice or before the twentieth birthday, whichever is later.
Discuss settlement or trial
Alongside verdicts, firms on this list publish settlements they've reached. Before moving forward, ask your lawyer what would support settlement discussions and what a trial would involve. Whatever those examples show, they don't establish your case's likely length or the result that's possible.
Malpractice claims in Philadelphia: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Pennsylvania
The clock startsWhen you found out, or should have
Time to start a claim2 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
Limits on damages in Pennsylvania
Pain and sufferingNo cap
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkFile a certificate of merit for each defendant with the complaint or within 60 days, stating an appropriate licensed professional has given a written statement that there is a reasonable probability the care fell below the standard.
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.
Most firms on this list describe contingency fees in their terms, though you should check them. The lawyer takes a share of any recovery under that agreement, with no attorney fee owed if the claim fails. You'll need to ask about separate case expenses, including charges for records and medical opinions as well as court fees. The firms' listed information doesn't say who pays those costs upfront, or whether you'd owe them if your claim doesn't succeed. Ask before you sign anything. Request a written explanation of the lawyer's share of a recovery and how expenses get deducted, since a free first conversation doesn't make the later expenses free.
Nine of the ten listed firms say you can have a first consultation without paying for it. Eight say they take cases on a contingency basis.
What to bring to your first call
The hospital's name, along with the delivery date
Names of everyone involved in the care, including the obstetrician and other providers
Medical records you already have, including any delivery notes
Records showing your child's treatment and diagnoses
Dates showing when you learned of the injury and its possible cause
Records of related expenses, including medical bills
Letters you've received from the hospital or insurer
What happened, written as a brief timeline
Questions to ask a lawyer
1When you've handled birth injury cases, has the care been like this?
2Who'll be responsible for our file, including reviewing our records?
3To obtain a certificate of merit, how will you arrange the required professional review?
4For our child's claim and any related claims, which filing deadline applies?
5When we need updates, who should we contact, and how often will we hear from you?
6If there's a recovery, what share would you take as your fee?
7If the claim fails, who pays case expenses?
8Before your firm decides whether to accept our case, what do you need?
Choosing a birth injury lawyer in Philadelphia
Start with what worries you about the care. A delayed C-section calls for different questions about a lawyer's experience than a forceps injury might, depending on what went wrong. Several firms here give examples of results in delivery-related cases. Ask for cases involving the care that concerns you if a firm only lists birth injury services; its biggest verdict won't tell you much if it involved something else.
Find out who will handle your child's file
Ask which attorney will read the delivery notes before you proceed, including whether they'll stay responsible for the case. A lawyer's name on the website doesn't tell you whether that person will work with your family.
Ask the firm how you'll get answers to questions and updates about your case. Reviews mention thoughtful communication, but some clients also say their messages never got a reply.
Ask whether the firm has room for your case before you proceed. A consultation doesn't mean the firm has agreed to represent you, and some reviewers say their cases were turned down.
Read the published results closely. Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law publishes forceps and twin-delivery results, while Law Offices of Judy Greenwood PC gives examples involving delayed C-sections. Ask specifically about childbirth cases if the firm shows nursing home or product liability results, since those examples don't tell you about its delivery work. You can't use a past recovery to predict what your child's claim might bring, regardless of its size.
Get clear answers before signing
A free consultation lets you talk through what happened without paying for that first conversation with the lawyer. Hiring the lawyer isn't automatic. Under a contingency agreement, the lawyer takes a share of any recovery; you don't owe an attorney fee if the claim fails. Ask who pays for records and medical opinions if you recover nothing, since those expenses are separate from attorney fees.
Be wary of anyone promising you a particular recovery. Pressure to sign should also worry you if you don't yet understand the fees or know who's taking your file. Pennsylvania requires a certificate of merit for each defendant; an appropriate licensed professional's written statement must back it up. Ask the firm who will arrange the review before you proceed. A Pennsylvania lawyer can assess what happened to your family; this page gives general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Which Philadelphia firms publish birth injury results?
Alongside forceps and twin-delivery outcomes, Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law publishes results for birth trauma. For delayed C-section and assisted-delivery cases, Law Offices of Judy Greenwood PC reports results. For labor-related brain damage and uterine rupture, Eisenberg Winkler Jeck Schwartz Schoenhaus & Sherry, PC reports settlements. Because a published outcome doesn't predict a new claim, ask about cases that resemble your child's.
What is the Pennsylvania filing deadline?
Generally, you have 2 years to file. When you knew or reasonably should have known of the injury and its cause starts the clock under the discovery rule Pennsylvania courts apply. For children, there's a separate stated rule. Before relying on a deadline, ask a Pennsylvania lawyer which one applies to your family's claims and which dates count.
Do children have more time to bring a claim?
If a child sues under the stated Pennsylvania rule, they must do so within 7 years of the malpractice or before the twentieth birthday, whichever is later. Even so, your family may still have questions about other deadlines. Before you rely on extra time, have a Pennsylvania lawyer identify the child's claim separately from any related claims.
Can we speak with a lawyer without paying upfront?
While nine listed firms say they offer a free consultation, eight say they work on contingency. If the claim fails under contingency, no attorney fee is paid; otherwise, that fee comes from a share of a recovery. Before proceeding, confirm this with the firm directly. Because medical record charges and other case expenses may receive different treatment, ask the firm about those costs separately.
What does a certificate of merit mean?
When filing in Pennsylvania, you need a certificate of merit for each defendant with the complaint or within 60 days. According to the certificate, an appropriate licensed professional supplied a written statement finding a reasonable probability that the care fell below the standard. Before proceeding, ask who'll arrange that professional assessment and how the lawyer will get the records reviewed.
How long will a birth injury case take?
From this list, you can't establish a case's length. Although Pennsylvania's filing deadline and 60-day certificate rule set when required legal steps must happen, they don't set when a claim resolves. Before proceeding, ask what work your case needs and when the lawyer will update you. Whatever a published settlement or verdict shows, it doesn't set your family's timetable.
Does Pennsylvania limit malpractice compensation?
Because compensatory damages are meant to compensate for harm, Pennsylvania doesn't cap those damages. Only punitive damages against individual physicians fall under the stated limit. Even so, you can't use that to value a particular claim. Without promising a recovery, a Pennsylvania lawyer can explain which damages might apply in your circumstances.
What should we do before the first consultation?
Start by gathering records you already have. When you write down the delivery date and hospital, include the care providers involved and when you first learned about the injury and its possible cause. Under Pennsylvania's discovery rule, those dates matter. Before the call, ask what else the firm needs and prepare questions about fees and who would handle your case.
Can a lawyer review a claim if a loved one died?
Among several firms here that handle wrongful death are Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law and The Killino Firm, both of which list it as a practice area. When you contact them, ask for a review of the care and possible claim. From the rules stated here, you can't determine who may file a death-related claim or every deadline that might apply. To answer those questions, speak with a Pennsylvania lawyer.