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A Pennsylvania jury has awarded $5.6 million to the family of a 6-year-old girl who suffered severe brain damage and is now nearly blind after a traumatic birth. Her parents sued the delivering midwife and Philadelphia-based Albert Einstein Medical Center, alleging that critical mistakes during labor caused the injury.
The baby was in the wrong position during delivery, but warning signs were missed, according to the lawsuit. As a result, her head was repeatedly crushed during contractions, causing permanent damage.
The jury found that the midwife and hospital were medically negligent and liable for violating the family’s privacy. The midwife shared private details and a photo of the newborn on social media — without the family’s consent.
The Birth Injury Justice Center helps families whose children were harmed at birth pursue the justice and financial support they deserve. The experienced attorneys in our network have recovered over $1 billion for families nationwide, and they’re ready to fight for you.
What Happened in the Philadelphia Birth Injury Lawsuit?
In 2020, two parents filed a lawsuit against Albert Einstein Medical Center and midwife Anne Pitts Londergan after their daughter suffered catastrophic injuries during birth. The girl lives with a traumatic brain injury and has lost almost all of her vision.
Health care providers allegedly failed to detect two dangerous fetal positioning abnormalities during labor. As a result, with every contraction, the baby’s head and skull were repeatedly crushed, causing permanent brain damage.
The trauma was compounded when the midwife posted a photo of the newborn’s misshapen head on her personal Instagram account, along with private medical details about the delivery. The post sparked a string of inappropriate comments, leaving the family deeply distressed.
On June 27, 2025, a Pennsylvania jury awarded the family $5.6 million for negligence, invasion of privacy, and breach of confidentiality, a life-changing sum to help cover the child’s extensive medical and care needs.
“We’re so grateful the jury acknowledged all that our daughter has gone through since the day she was born. Our daughter suffers from permanent birth injuries due to negligence, and, to make matters worse, her privacy was violated by someone we should have been able to trust.”
– Alexandra Wolfson, the child’s mother
What Is Birth Injury Malpractice & Negligence?
Birth injury malpractice and negligence occur when doctors, nurses, or other health care providers make mistakes during pregnancy, labor, or delivery that cause harm to the baby or mother.
These injuries often happen when medical professionals fail to meet accepted standards of care. This includes misreading test results, not responding quickly to signs of distress, or using delivery tools like forceps or vacuum extractors improperly.
To prove malpractice, lawyers need to show the provider acted carelessly or failed to act when they should have and that this caused the injury.
Common birth injuries linked to medical negligence include:
- Brachial plexus injuries like Erb’s palsy
- Brain damage
- Broken bones, such as a fractured collarbone
- Cerebral palsy
- Facial nerve damage
- HIE (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy)
- Improper sterilization or delayed treatment, leading to infections
- Skull fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
If a medical provider’s mistake led to one of these injuries, families may be able to file a birth injury lawsuit to seek compensation for medical care, therapy, and future support.
These cases can be both emotionally and financially challenging for families, especially when a child’s injuries lead to lifelong disabilities or ongoing medical needs. However, the birth injury lawyers we work with handle every aspect of the legal process, allowing parents to focus on their child’s care.
Get Help From a Pennsylvania Birth Injury Lawyer
At the Birth Injury Justice Center, each and every member of our team is proud to help families affected by birth injuries find answers, pursue justice, and secure the financial support they deserve.
We’re devoted to helping families:
- Make sense of their child’s symptoms
- Understand if malpractice factored into the injury
- Qualify for compensation from legal claims
Get a free case review to get started. We have experienced labor and delivery nurses on staff who can help families determine what may have happened and figure out their next steps.
