Infant Meningitis Lawyer

Fact-Checked and Medically Reviewed by:
Katie Lavender, RN Registered Nurse
Quick Answer

Meningitis is a dangerous infection that occurs in the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Complications include brain damage, deafness, seizures, or even death. Sometimes, medical mistakes play a role in the failure to prevent, diagnose, or treat the infection during childbirth. Working with an infant meningitis lawyer can be the best step in seeking financial support for your child’s ongoing care and treatment.

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What Is an Infant Meningitis Lawyer?

A wooden gavel and block placed on top of MRI brain imaging results.An infant meningitis lawyer is a dedicated personal injury attorney focused on supporting families of children who were harmed by meningitis due to medical oversight.

Meningitis is typically triggered by a virus (viral meningitis) but can also result from a bacterial infection (bacterial meningitis). When medical missteps occur, each type of meningitis in infants can become significantly more dangerous, turning what might be a manageable infection into a severe, potentially fatal condition.

The condition often happens when medical professionals mismanage initial infections or fail to diagnose them entirely. This can mean they failed to uphold the standard of care, which may be considered medical malpractice.

Infant meningitis lawyers file birth injury lawsuits for families seeking justice and financial support to pay for their children’s medical expenses.

$905 million
Amount secured in compensation for families affected by birth-related injuries

The birth injury lawyers in our network can help families in all 50 states. Together, they have recovered over $905 million in birth injury cases, including those involving infant meningitis.

Find out if a top infant meningitis lawyer can help you get the justice and financial compensation your family deserves.

Get a free legal case review right now.

Get a Free Case Review

A free case review is the first step in pursuing compensation for you and your family.

Get a Free Case Review

Infant Meningitis and Medical Malpractice

Each type of meningitis in infants requires specific, timely interventions to prevent serious complications such as hearing loss, neurological damage, or even death.

Bacterial meningitis, in particular, demands immediate antibiotic treatment, while viral meningitis treatments vary based on the underlying cause.

Examples of infant meningitis medical malpractice include:
  • Delaying vaccination or failing to administer prophylactic (preventive) measures to infants at risk
  • Failing to practice proper sterilization techniques that lead to hospital-acquired infections
  • Ignoring or misinterpreting signs of infection in the newborn, such as fever, irritability, or feeding difficulties
  • Mismanaging or failing to diagnose neonatal infections, allowing them to progress to meningitis
  • Overlooking maternal infections that could be transmitted to the baby during or after birth

When health care providers fail to meet the standard of care, resulting in a delayed diagnosis or inappropriate management of meningitis, it could be considered medical malpractice.

If you suspect medical negligence played a role in harm to your child, consulting with an experienced infant meningitis lawyer may be your pathway to securing the financial support your family needs.

Find out if we can connect you to an experienced infant meningitis lawyer by calling (800) 914-1562 or Click to Live Chat right now.

How Can an Infant Meningitis Lawyer Help?

A skilled infant meningitis lawyer can simplify your role in the lawsuit process, handling all legal work on your behalf.

They will create a customized plan for you and your family that generally involves the steps below.

  1. Provide a free consultation: They offer a free case review to determine whether you may have a valid infant meningitis claim.
  2. Investigate the cause: Your infant meningitis lawyer carefully evaluates the details of your child’s birth to determine if it was caused by medical negligence.
  3. Collect evidence: Infant meningitis lawyers gather medical records and bills, expert opinions, and other relevant evidence to build a strong case.
  4. File the lawsuit: They handle each step of the filing process, ensuring all necessary documents are filed properly and within your case’s specific deadlines.
  5. Negotiate on your behalf: They will work to secure the maximum birth injury settlement amount possible without you having to step foot in court.
  6. Represent you in court: If a settlement isn’t reached, they will take your case to trial to continue fighting for your family.

Hiring an experienced infant meningitis lawyer lets you focus on caring for your child while your legal team works hard to get financial compensation and justice for your family.

Infant Meningitis Settlements and Verdicts

Birth injury settlements and verdicts provide the financial support needed to care for babies who were harmed during childbirth.

Many birth injury settlements have resulted in multi-million dollar payouts to families.

Reported birth injury awards involving infant meningitis include:
  • $9 million in Illinois for newborn brain damage from failing to test the mother for Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
  • $7.8 million in North Carolina for severe brain damage for failure to diagnose meningitis
  • $4.1 million in California for failing to diagnose meningitis in a 4-year-old child
  • $1 million in New Jersey for seizures due to failure to treat meningitis

For many families, working with experienced infant meningitis lawyers helped increase their birth injury lawsuit compensation.

Get a free case review right now to see if you qualify to work with a top birth injury lawyer near you.

Get a Free Case Review

A free case review is the first step in pursuing compensation for you and your family.

Get a Free Case Review

When Should I Hire an Infant Meningitis Lawyer?

Consider hiring an infant meningitis lawyer as soon as you suspect your child’s condition might have been caused or worsened by medical negligence.

It’s important to act quickly because there’s a strict deadline for filing lawsuits, known as the statute of limitations. Once this timeframe passes, you’ll never be able to take legal action for the situation.

Since laws in each state determine the statute of limitations, it is vital to consult medical malpractice lawyers who understand the deadline in your case. A skilled infant meningitis lawyer can tell you how much time your family has to file a lawsuit.

Don’t wait to find out if you can work with an infant meningitis lawyer. Call our team at (800) 914-1562 or get a free case review right now.

How to Find Top Infant Meningitis Lawyers

Finding the right infant meningitis lawyer for your case is a key step to increasing your chances of a favorable outcome. These cases are complex and challenging to prove, but experienced infant meningitis lawyers can help.

Below are some qualities to look for in infant meningitis lawyers.

No Upfront Costs

Choose an infant meningitis lawyer who works on a contingency fee basis. This means there are no upfront costs. You will only pay your legal team if your case results in compensation. Usually, your infant meningitis lawyer will receive a percentage of your payout if they negotiate a birth injury settlement or win a verdict for you.

Registered Nurses on Staff

Top birth injury law firms have registered nurses on staff to help families understand what could have gone wrong during childbirth. The infant meningitis lawyers in our network have labor and delivery nurses with decades of combined expertise.

They are available to listen to your story and answer any questions you may have. Connect with a registered nurse right now.

Nurse Beth Carter

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Call or chat with a caring, experienced nurse right now — we’re standing by to get you help and answers.

Experience With Infant Meningitis Cases

Look for infant meningitis lawyers with a history of handling cases like yours. Top infant meningitis lawyers know how to gather the evidence needed to build a strong case linking what happened to your child with medical negligence.

History of Winning Birth Injury Settlements

An experienced infant meningitis lawyer will have a proven track record of handling birth injury cases. This means they can accurately assess the impact of your child’s meningitis, calculate the amount of money needed for their care, and fight hard to get the financial support and justice your family deserves.

Works at a Reputable Birth Injury Law Firm

Generally, attorneys who work at trusted birth injury law firms have access to extensive resources. This includes legal expertise, medical experts, and ample support. Choosing a lawyer who works at a well-known firm can increase your chances of a favorable outcome.

Find an Infant Meningitis Lawyer Near You

Infant meningitis cases are complex. Therefore, they require a lawyer who is not only experienced in the law but also dedicated to advocating for your family’s unique needs.

The best infant meningitis lawyers have the right experience to guide you through the legal process. This means they can make sure it is as stress-free as possible. They will fight for the compensation your family deserves and work hard to make sure your rights are upheld.

At the Birth Injury Justice Center, we partner with some of the country’s best infant meningitis lawyers. Together, they have helped families like yours recover over $905 million for preventable birth injuries, including meningitis in children.

Contact us right now at (800) 914-1562 or fill out our case review form to find out if we may be able to help you provide a more secure future for your family.

Infant Meningitis Lawyer FAQs

Can you sue a hospital for meningitis?

Yes, you may be able to sue a hospital for meningitis. However, your legal team will have to prove that medical negligence led to the condition or worsened its outcome.

The Birth Injury Justice Center partners with infant meningitis lawyers who have helped families across the country secure millions of dollars in birth injury compensation. Find out if we can connect you right now with a free case review.

How do I start an infant meningitis lawsuit?

Working with a skilled birth injury attorney is often the best first step to filing an infant meningitis lawsuit.

A skilled infant meningitis lawyer can:

  1. Gather evidence to build a strong case
  2. File a medical malpractice lawsuit according to your state’s deadlines
  3. Negotiate with the other side for the largest settlement possible
  4. Fight for your family in court if a fair settlement isn’t reached

A lawyer can handle all of the legal work and advocate for your family while you focus on caring for your child.

How much will an infant meningitis lawyer cost?

The best infant meningitis lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront or out-of-pocket costs. They only receive payment if they secure compensation for your case.

Top infant meningitis lawyers also provide free legal consultations to determine if you have a valid medical malpractice claim.

How much is an infant meningitis settlement worth?

The average birth injury settlement is around $1 million. However, many families have received multimillion-dollar awards in infant meningitis cases.

The lawyers in our network have helped families recover over $905 million for preventable birth injuries, including cases involving meningitis.

It’s important to understand that the value of an infant meningitis case depends on various factors, like whether it could have been prevented, the severity of the condition, complications that have resulted from the condition, and the expected medical expenses.

An experienced infant meningitis lawyer can assess the specifics of your case and tell you what you may be able to expect. If you qualify, we can connect you right now — call our team at (800) 914-1562.

What are the symptoms of infant meningitis?

The symptoms of meningitis can vary. They may come on after flu-like symptoms or digestive problems (diarrhea, vomiting) or suddenly with little warning.

Infant meningitis symptoms may include:

  • Arching back
  • Bulging in the soft spots on the head
  • Fever or vomiting
  • High-pitched or excessive crying
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
  • Lethargy (extreme sleepiness)
  • Poor feeding
  • Purple-red spots on the skin
  • Seizures (due to a high fever)
  • Sensitivity to bright light
  • Stiff neck or body

Immediate treatment is essential as a delayed diagnosis can lead to brain damage and, in some cases, death.

Birth Injury Support Team
Reviewed by:Katie Lavender, RN

Registered Nurse

  • Fact-Checked
  • Editor

Katie Lavender has over 8 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in postpartum mother/baby care. With hands-on experience in Labor and Delivery and a role as a Community Educator for newborn care, Katie is a staunch advocate for patient rights and education. As a Medical Reviewer, she is committed to ensuring accurate and trustworthy patient information.

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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May 25). Viral meningitis. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/viral.html
  2. Mayo Clinic. (2023, October, 4). Meningitis. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350508
  3. Nemours Children’s Health. (2023, March). Meningitis in kids. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/meningitis.html
  4. World Health Organization. (2023, April 17). Meningitis. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/meningitis#:~:text=One%20in%205%20people%20surviving,and%20limb%20amputations%20after%20sepsis