District of Columbia Birth Injury Lawyer

Quick Answer

Birth injuries can lead to serious health conditions like cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy, which may require expensive, ongoing medical care and treatment. District of Columbia birth injury lawyers fight to recover compensation for families of children who suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence. Learn more about working with a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer today.

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Working With a District of Columbia Birth Injury Lawyer

Birth injury lawyers are personal injury attorneys who focus on cases where medical negligence contributed to an otherwise preventable birth injury.

U.S. Capitol BuildingA District of Columbia birth injury lawyer helps the families of birth injury victims fight for compensation for treatment costs like hospital stays, surgery, physical therapy, and more. In doing so, they also help hold negligent health care providers accountable for their medical errors.

An experienced District of Columbia birth injury lawyer will make the legal process as stress-free as possible.

D.C. birth injury attorneys can handle the following on your behalf:

  1. Filing a claim
  2. Collecting evidence
  3. Building the strongest case possible
  4. Negotiating a settlement with the defense
  5. Representing you in a court of law (if necessary)

Our partner birth injury law firm has recovered over $862 million for families nationwide, including those in Washington, D.C. — and they’re ready to help yours too.

If your child suffered a preventable birth injury due to the negligence of a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional, you may be able to work with a District of Columbia birth injury attorney to pursue financial compensation. Talk to one of our registered nurses to learn more today.

Nurse Beth Carter

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Birth Injuries and Medical Negligence

Doctors, nurses, and other health care providers are trained professionals, and we expect them to safely deliver healthy babies. Unfortunately, they can make mistakes that cause long-term or even permanent injuries to the baby. Situations like these may qualify as medical malpractice claims.

Families can’t possibly plan for these types of injuries, and many can’t afford unexpected medical bills caused by a doctor’s or nurse’s mistakes. However, a birth injury lawsuit can hold medical professionals accountable for their negligence and can help families pursue compensation for treatment expenses.

Lifetime medical expenses for children with cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability are 26 times higher than for babies without those conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Doctors and hospitals may be at fault for medical negligence if they:

  • Don’t detect or treat signs of oxygen deprivation (hypoxia)
  • Fail to perform a C-section (cesarean section) in a timely manner
  • Fail to recognize or treat signs of fetal distress
  • Improperly use forceps, vacuum extractors, or other assistive delivery tools
  • Use excessive force on a child’s head, neck, arm, or shoulders

If you believe that medical negligence caused your child to suffer a preventable birth injury, you may be able to work with a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer.

Types of Cases District of Columbia Birth Injury Attorneys Handle

District of Columbia birth injury attorneys help the loved ones of children who were injured by birth-related medical malpractice.

A District of Columbia birth injury lawyer can handle medical malpractice cases involving:

If your child suffered one of the above types of birth injuries, your family may be eligible for financial compensation. Call our team today at (800) 914-1562 to find out if you can work with a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer.

District of Columbia Birth Injury Settlements and Verdicts

Although some birth injury cases go to trial, the majority are resolved outside of court with a settlement.

When a settlement is reached, the health care provider and/or hospital that caused the injury (defendant) agrees to pay the family of the child who suffered the injury (plaintiff) a lump sum of money in compensation.

The amount of money that the defendant pays depends on several factors, such as the nature and severity of the injury, the state in which it occurred, and the estimated treatment costs throughout the child’s lifetime.

In many cases, families have been awarded millions of dollars in birth injury settlement compensation.

If your District of Columbia birth injury lawyer cannot reach a settlement agreement with the defendant, the case may go to trial. A trial may be more unpredictable and time-consuming, but it can potentially end in a larger payment to the family if the judge or jury rules in your favor.

If the case goes to trial, an experienced District of Columbia birth injury attorney will build the strongest case possible to convince the judge or jury that your child’s birth injury was caused by medical negligence.

If your District of Columbia birth injury lawyer wins the trial, the judge will order the defendants to pay your family a specific amount of money in compensation (verdict).

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Do you suspect your child’s birth injury was caused by medical malpractice?

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When to File a Birth Injury Lawsuit in the District of Columbia

Due to statutes of limitations, it’s crucial that you file a birth injury lawsuit as soon as possible.

A statute of limitations is a law that sets a deadline for taking legal action. If you don’t file a claim before the statute of limitations expires, you will lose your opportunity to file a lawsuit and will be unable to pursue compensation.

Statutes of limitations vary based on the type of injury and the location in which it occurred, so you should contact a District of Columbia birth injury attorney as soon as you suspect that your child’s injury may have been caused by medical negligence.

  • 3 Years

    DC Statute of Limitations for Birth Injuries

  • 2 Years

    DC Statute of Limitations for Infant Wrongful Death

Even if your child hasn’t been formally diagnosed, you should still reach out to a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer. Their legal team will be able to help you identify what caused your child’s birth injury and determine if you’re eligible to file a claim.

Get Help From a District of Columbia Birth Injury Lawyer

Medical professionals must undergo years of training to ensure they uphold a certain standard of care for mothers and their babies. Even small mistakes can lead to devastating injuries, and the professionals and hospitals who make them may be held accountable with a medical negligence lawsuit.

Small Lady Justice statue on a deskSometimes, a lawsuit is the family’s only hope of affording expensive treatments. A birth injury lawsuit can help innocent families receive compensation that can help them provide a better life for their child.

If you believe your child was injured due to the medical negligence of a health care professional, you should contact a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer. Get a free case review right now to find out if you may be entitled to financial compensation.

District of Columbia Birth Injury Lawyer FAQs

What is the statute of limitations on birth injury claims in the District of Columbia?

The statute of limitations in the District of Columbia is 3 years for birth injuries. However, the deadline is 2 years for infant wrongful death cases.

If you don’t take legal action before the statute of limitations expires, you will lose your right to file a lawsuit.

Call us today at (800) 914-1562 to see if a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer can help your family take legal action.

How much do District of Columbia birth injury lawyers cost?

Experienced District of Columbia birth injury lawyers do not charge upfront fees. Instead, they work on a contingency fee basis. That means they only get paid if they win, and their fee comes as a percentage of the compensation from a birth injury settlement or verdict.

If your District of Columbia birth injury lawyer doesn’t recover compensation on behalf of your family, you won’t owe them anything.

How do I know if my child’s birth injury was caused by medical negligence?

To find out if your child’s birth injury was a result of medical negligence, you should contact a District of Columbia birth injury lawyer.

An experienced attorney can review your case and determine if your child’s birth injury was preventable and if medical negligence was involved.

If you are eligible to take legal action, your District of Columbia birth injury attorney can also help you file a lawsuit and pursue financial assistance for treatment.

Get a free consultation today to find out if your family qualifies for compensation.

Birth Injury Support Team

The Birth Injury Justice Center was founded in 2003 by a team of legal professionals to educate and empower victims and families affected by birth injuries. Our team is devoted to providing you with the best resources and legal information for all types of birth injuries.

View Sources
  1. American Bar Association. (2020, December 3). Fees and Expenses. Americanbar.org. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/milvets/aba_home_front/information_center/working_with_lawyer/fees_and_expenses/
  2. Data and statistics for cerebral palsy. (2020, December 31). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/data.html
  3. What is malpractice? American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://www.abpla.org/what-is-malpractice
  4. § 16–2702. party plaintiff; statute of limitations. Council of the District of Columbia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/16-2702