For this evidence-based 2026 list of Philadelphia HIE law firms, we compared what firms handle and their published results, then considered client reviews and professional recognition.
Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law comes first on this list. The firm dates to 1978 and publishes infant hypoxic brain injury results. Ask who would handle your child's case before you call, including who pays for medical review; you can check filing rules in the Pennsylvania malpractice guide.
4.7226 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 226 reviews
Best for: Published hypoxic brain injury results
Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law's site ties two reported results directly to infant hypoxic brain injury: one for $6 million and another for $4 million. The site also reports a $7 million recovery for brain damage in another birth trauma case. Families can learn more from those cases than from a recovery involving a general personal injury.
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
4.73,151 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 3151 reviews
Best for: HIE and broader injury claims
The 3,151 reviews on Pond Lehocky's Google listing give it a 4.7 rating; that large body of reviews helped put the firm on this list. Clients don't agree about communication. Unanswered questions come up in some reviews, despite other clients' accounts of prompt service and regular updates.
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
4.3474 Google reviewsRated 4.3 out of 5 on Google from 474 reviews
Best for: Catastrophic birth injury litigation
Kline & Specter, PC handles catastrophic injury litigation and medical malpractice, with Tom Kline and Shanin Specter among its attorneys. Its site addresses HIE and birth injury, as well as cerebral palsy. The firm received The Legal Intelligencer's 2018 Litigation Department of the Year award for Medical Malpractice and Product Liability/Mass Torts.
Stood out in our review for how much of its work is medical malpractice 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
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.
4.523 Google reviewsRated 4.5 out of 5 on Google from 23 reviews
Best for: Hospital-related birth injury claims
Gilman & Bedigian's published results include a notably large birth injury verdict: $182 million in Hagans v. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. You'll also find verdicts on its site involving Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Maryland Medical System. Charles Gilman is listed as co-founder and managing partner on the site, which also discusses HIE and hospital negligence.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes 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
4.299 Google reviewsRated 4.2 out of 5 on Google from 99 reviews
Best for: Birth and pediatric brain injuries
Among Ross Feller Casey's published results are a $32.5 million birth injury recovery against Reading Hospital and $29 million recovered for pediatric brain injury. Families can ask about work relevant to their concerns. Neither case is explicitly identified as HIE, however.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes 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
Expect the lawyer to ask what happened during delivery and when you learned about the injury and its cause. Although Pennsylvania generally allows two years under the discovery rule, a separate filing rule applies when the injured person is a child.
Records and medical review
After reviewing the medical records, your lawyer seeks an opinion from a licensed professional about the care provided. To satisfy Pennsylvania's certificate of merit requirement, a written statement must support a reasonable probability that the care fell below the standard.
Complaint and certificate
Filing the complaint begins the lawsuit. When suing each defendant, you must file a certificate of merit with the complaint or within 60 days. Find out from your lawyer who the defendants are and why.
Developing the claim
After that, the records get a closer look, as do the parties' accounts of what happened. Find out what your attorney still needs and how updates will reach you. You won't find a case-completion date in the filing rules.
Settlement or trial
Whether a claim settles or reaches trial, you'll find published examples from firms on this list. Compensatory damages aren't capped in Pennsylvania. Even so, your child's case won't necessarily produce a result like a past award.
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.
According to most firms listed here, they take cases on contingency. If the claim succeeds, the lawyer gets a share of the recovery; if it fails, there's no lawyer fee. Pursuing a claim brings separate expenses, such as charges for records and medical opinions, as well as court fees. Find out whether the firm pays those costs upfront and when they're deducted. If nothing is recovered, would you owe those expenses? Although Ross Feller Casey offers a free consultation, its contingency arrangement isn't identified in this list. Before you sign with a firm, get its explanation of fees and expenses in writing.
Of the nine firms listed, eight say you can consult them for free. Contingency payment is offered by eight, according to their statements.
What to bring to your first call
When your child was delivered and at which hospital
Any delivery notes you have, plus your child's medical chart
Who provided care, including doctors and other providers
A short timeline showing when care and diagnosis happened
When you learned of the injury, including what might have caused it
Records of related expenses, including medical bills
Any letters the hospital or insurer sent
Questions to ask a lawyer
1What cases involving HIE or birth injury have you handled?
2Which attorney would take responsibility for my child's file?
3To obtain a certificate of merit, how will you arrange the required medical opinion?
4When must my child's claim be filed?
5What determines how much your lawyer fees are?
6If nothing is recovered, who covers the case expenses?
7When we have questions, how will you respond and provide updates?
8Can you tell me why if you decline the case?
Choosing an HIE lawyer in Philadelphia
Don't start with the biggest verdict; first ask what birth injury cases the firm has handled. Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law publishes results for infant hypoxic brain injury cases; a birth injury verdict involving the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania appears in Gilman & Bedigian's results. Ask how the care in those earlier cases compares with what your child received. A result from a different kind of lawsuit won't tell you as much.
Make the first conversation useful
1
Describe the care and the injury
Start by noting when delivery happened and the hospital's name. Explain what you were told about the injury's cause when you tell the lawyer when you learned of it. Before collecting all the records, find out whether the lawyer needs delivery notes, your child's chart or other records.
2
Find out who will handle the file
Ask who would be responsible for the case before you sign, including whether that attorney would speak with you. Between major developments, who'll answer your questions? Because several firms here have mixed reviews about communication, ask how updates will work rather than letting a rating settle that question.
3
Discuss the medical review
For each defendant in Pennsylvania, you'll need a certificate of merit. Find out how the firm obtains the licensed professional's supporting written opinion, then ask the lawyer what that medical review can establish. Ask what's still unclear about the claim involving your child.
When a firm advertises a free consultation, it says you can have an initial discussion without paying a consultation charge. It hasn't agreed to take your case. If payment is on contingency, the lawyer takes a share of any recovery but receives no lawyer fee when the claim fails. Before signing, ask separately what happens with expenses.
Before agreeing to fees, request a written explanation that says who covers case expenses when there's no recovery.
If someone promises a result or predicts your child's recovery from an unrelated verdict, treat that as a warning.
When a firm declines your case, find out whether it lacks capacity or sees a problem with the claim itself.
You're reading general information here, not legal advice. Although the Pennsylvania malpractice guide sets out the rules, you'll need a Pennsylvania lawyer to explain what those rules mean in your circumstances.
Questions people ask
Which Philadelphia firm leads this HIE lawyer list?
The first firm listed is Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law. On its site, the firm, founded in 1978, reports $6 million and $4 million infant hypoxic brain injury results, plus recoveries in other birth injury cases. That gives families actual past work to ask about. Whether the firm takes your case, or what your claim might recover, can't be predicted from those results.
How long do I have to file a malpractice claim in Pennsylvania?
For most claims, you have two years to file. When you knew or reasonably should have known about the injury and its cause starts the clock under Pennsylvania's discovery rule. A different rule applies to children's claims. Ask a Pennsylvania lawyer to check the dates with you and explain which statute of limitations applies. The diagnosis date alone doesn't settle your filing deadline.
What is the filing rule for a child's HIE claim?
For a child, the deadline to sue is seven years after the malpractice or the twentieth birthday, whichever comes later. Unlike most malpractice claims, the usual two-year rule doesn't apply here. Have a Pennsylvania lawyer check when your child must file. Rather than waiting until the deadline gets close, you can call a firm now to discuss which records it needs and how medical review works.
Does it cost money to speak with these firms?
Eight of the nine listed firms say they offer a free consultation. This list doesn't identify Pond Lehocky's consultation policy, so ask before booking. A free discussion isn't an agreement to represent you. Use that time to ask about relevant birth injury work and the payment agreement you'd receive if the firm accepts your claim.
What does a contingency fee mean for my family?
If the claim produces a recovery, a contingency lawyer takes a share of it; if the claim fails, there's no lawyer fee. According to eight listed firms, that's how they charge. Find out separately who covers expenses, such as charges for medical opinions and records. If nothing is recovered, would you still owe those costs? Request written terms before agreeing.
What medical support does a Pennsylvania malpractice case need?
For each defendant in Pennsylvania, the certificate of merit must accompany the complaint or be filed within 60 days. By signing the certificate, you state that an appropriate licensed professional provided a written statement supporting a reasonable probability that the care fell below the standard. Find out how that professional would examine your child's chart. To understand how the opinion affects your proposed claim, ask the lawyer to explain it.
How long will an HIE lawsuit take?
You won't find a case-completion period in Pennsylvania's filing rules. Although firms listed here publish settlements and verdicts, those results don't show how much time your own claim would take. Find out what's needed before you file and what might slow or otherwise affect progress afterward. Even when nothing major has happened, you should agree with the attorney about how you'll receive updates.
Does Pennsylvania limit malpractice compensation?
There's no cap in Pennsylvania on compensatory damages, the damages intended to compensate someone for an injury. Punitive damages against individual physicians, however, are limited. You can't count on a particular recovery just because compensatory damages aren't capped. To understand which damages might apply to your child, ask a Pennsylvania lawyer how the medical records support the claim in your circumstances.
What should I do if my child died after the medical care?
During your first call, explain that your child died so the lawyer can review the deadline with you. Wrongful death appears on several listed firms' sites, including those of Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law and Ross Feller Casey. If you have medical records or hospital letters, bring them to the discussion. To understand how the rules affect your family, talk with a Pennsylvania lawyer about your situation.
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