Pittsburgh Birth Injury Lawyers

Common Birth Injuries

While a birth injury can occur during childbirth in many ways, some are more common than others.

Common birth injuries include:

• Birth asphyxia: Birth asphyxia is a medical emergency in which an infant's brain and other organs do not receive enough oxygen during birth. 
• Brachial plexus injury: A brachial plexus injury is a birth injury that occurs when the nerves that run from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand are stretched or torn. This birth injury can occur if a baby's head and neck are pulled in different directions during birth. It can also happen if too much pressure is placed on an infant's head during childbirth. Brachial plexus injuries can result in paralysis of the arm or hand, loss of feeling, or decreased movement.
• Cerebral palsy: Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that permanently affects body movement, muscle coordination, and posture. It is caused by abnormal development or damage to the brain before birth, during birth, or after birth up to age three. Symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe.
• Erb's palsy: Erb's palsy is a birth injury that affects the nerves of an infant. It is caused by damage to the brachial plexus, a network of nerves in a baby's neck and shoulder area. The condition may occur when a baby's head, shoulders, or neck is stretched during birth. Symptoms of Erb's palsy can include weakness, numbness, or paralysis of the arm and hand on one side of the body. 
• Facial paralysis: Facial paralysis is a medical condition in which the facial muscles are weakened or not functioning correctly due to nerve or muscle damage. When facial paralysis occurs, it can cause a range of physical and emotional issues for the patient, including difficulty speaking, eating, drinking, and breathing. It can also affect a person's ability to express emotion through facial expressions.
• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): A serious brain injury that occurs when a baby’s brain does not receive enough oxygen and blood flow during or around the time of birth. It can lead to permanent neurological damage and long-term conditions such as developmental delays, seizures, or cerebral palsy.
• Shoulder dystocia: Shoulder dystocia is a birth complication that occurs when a baby's shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother's pubic bone during birth. This can cause severe injuries and even death in both the baby and its mother. Shoulder dystocia can occur due to improper use of birth-assisting tools or a failure to promptly identify birth complications.

Signs That May Indicate a Birth Injury

Signs that a child has suffered a birth injury include trouble breathing, not moving their arms or legs normally, or having seizures. Other birth injuries can be harder to spot, such as hearing or vision problems, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. If your child is not reaching their milestones at the expected age, that could indicate a birth injury. It's best to seek medical advice immediately to get a diagnosis and determine the best course of action. 

Another sign that your child may have suffered a birth injury is if they are experiencing chronic pain. This could be anything from headaches or neck pain to abdominal pain. Birth injuries can sometimes cause chronic pain for months or even years after birth.

Parents in this situation often feel torn between trusting what they are being told and their sense that something is not right, especially when different doctors offer different opinions. Keeping a simple journal of symptoms, changes in your child’s behavior, and recommendations from each provider can help you see patterns over time and give you concrete information to share with both medical and legal professionals. If you continue to have unanswered questions after speaking with your child’s doctors, scheduling a consultation with our birth injury lawyer in Pittsburgh can help you understand whether there may be a legal claim worth exploring.

Common Causes of Birth Injuries

Birth injuries often result from complications during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. While not all complications are preventable, some injuries occur because of negligence on the part of doctors, nurses, or hospital staff.

Common causes of preventable birth injuries include:

• Failure to monitor fetal distress
• Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors
• Delayed decision to perform a C-section
• Failure to diagnose or treat infections
• Inadequate monitoring of the mother or baby during labor
• Improper handling of shoulder dystocia
• Misuse of medications such as labor-inducing drugs like Pitocin

When medical professionals fail to act according to the accepted standard of care, they may be held legally responsible for resulting birth injuries.

Who is Liable for a Birth Injury?

Determining liability in a birth injury case often requires a thorough investigation and the involvement of medical professionals. 

Potentially liable parties in a birth injury case can include:

• Obstetricians or gynecologists who make poor medical decisions or fail to respond to emergencies
• Nurses or hospital staff who fail to properly monitor the mother and baby or miscommunicate important health data
• The hospital or healthcare facility, if there is evidence of systemic negligence or understaffing
• Anesthesiologists or other providers who make errors during cesarean deliveries or other procedures

At Friday & Cox LLC, our attorneys conduct comprehensive reviews of medical records, consult with medical professionals, and build strong cases to hold negligent parties accountable.

Because Pennsylvania medical malpractice law has specific rules, time limits, and procedural requirements, it is important not to delay in getting legal advice if you suspect a preventable birth injury occurred. Our team can help you understand how courts in Allegheny County and other western Pennsylvania counties typically handle these claims and what evidence may be most persuasive in your situation.

Why Choose Our Birth Injury Lawyers in Pittsburgh?

Our firm is dedicated to standing up for families affected by preventable birth injuries.

When you work with our team, you can expect:

• Experienced medical malpractice attorneys who understand the complexities of birth injury litigation
• Personalized legal support tailored to your child’s unique medical and financial needs
• Compassionate, family-focused advocacy that keeps your goals at the center of every decision
• No upfront legal fees, we only get paid if we recover compensation for you

When you work with us, we focus on learning what is most important to your family, whether that is funding ongoing therapies, arranging in-home care, or planning for future educational needs. We stay in regular contact to update you on your case, prepare you for key milestones such as mediation or trial, and answer new questions as they arise. Our goal is to shoulder the legal burden so you can devote more of your energy to your child’s day-to-day care, knowing that a committed Pittsburgh birth injury attorney is working behind the scenes on your behalf.

Compensation in Pittsburgh Birth Injury Cases

One of the most common questions families ask is what types of compensation may be available if their child’s injury was caused by medical negligence. While every case is different, a birth injury claim can seek damages for both the immediate costs you are facing and the long-term needs your child may have throughout their life. Understanding the potential categories of compensation can help you think through what support your family will require, from specialized medical care in local facilities to adjustments needed at home and school.

Economic Damages

In many cases, recoverable damages may include:

• Past and future medical bills
• Rehabilitation and therapy costs
• Assistive devices and mobility equipment
• Expenses related to modifying your home or vehicle to accommodate mobility issues

Non-Economic Damages

In addition to financial losses, families may seek compensation for the broader impact the injury has on a child’s life. This can include damages related to:

• Pain and suffering
• Physical limitations
• Loss of enjoyment of life

An experienced birth injury lawyer Pittsburgh parents consult can work with financial and life care planning professionals to estimate these needs over time so that any settlement or verdict reflects the full impact of the injury.

Planning for Long-Term Care

Because severe birth injuries can create needs that extend well into adulthood, it is also important to consider how compensation will be structured to protect your child’s future. In some situations, this may involve setting up a special needs trust or other financial arrangements designed to preserve eligibility for public benefits while still paying for essential services.

Our team can explain how courts in Allegheny County and across western Pennsylvania typically address these issues and collaborate with trusted planners to help you create a long-term strategy that supports your child as they grow.