When your child is injured by a preventable mistake, you’re faced with an important decision. Which birth injury law firm will you call to help you take on your doctor (and their tightfisted insurance company?)
We’ll even step out on a limb and say it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your child. Why? Because whether you obtain justice and compensation could depend on your lawyer’s skills and expertise. Your child’s well-being hangs in the balance.
Below, we’ll explain what a birth injury law firm actually is, and how you can find the right one for your needs.
What is a Birth Injury Law Firm?
A birth injury law firm specializes in birth injury malpractice claims. Birth injury lawyers work to hold medical professionals accountable for mistakes that result in birth injuries.
Negligence can occur during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or postpartum care. It can cause injury to the mother, baby, or both. Birth injury cases are often complex, so attorneys must be knowledgeable about medical malpractice law.
Now, keep in mind that many law firms will claim to be birth injury law firms when they’re not. Sure, they may be competent enough to pursue a birth injury claim. But that doesn’t mean they specialize in birth injury cases. If you want to find a true birth injury firm, ask to see their birth injury case results.
Why Work With a Birth Injury Firm?
Birth injuries can leave children needing lifetime care. Did you know that the lifetime cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy is almost $1 million? That’s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) best estimate. And that’s likely gone up since their last study, in 2003. Unfortunately, cerebral palsy is one of the most common birth injuries stemming from negligence.
Birth Injury Lawsuits Aren’t “DIY”
When you found out your child had a preventable birth injury, what were the questions that ran through your mind? Most likely, the first one was “Will my child be ok?” The second was, “How am I going to pay for treatment?”
If a doctor or hospital’s mistake caused the injury, you shouldn’t have to pay for treatment. But getting an insurance company to pay for wrongdoing is tough. Filing a birth injury claim isn’t something you should attempt to do yourself. This is why it’s in your best interest to hire a birth injury law firm.
Pursuing a Claim is Costly
Another reason why you should work with a birth injury lawyer is because suing for malpractice isn’t cheap! You may need to hire medical experts to give testimony on your behalf. That can cost thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars. There are also other expenses like costs to obtain records and attorney’s fees.
If your case has merit, a law firm will likely front these costs for you. In most cases, you won’t owe a dime unless you win compensation. This is called working on a contingency fee basis.
How to Choose the Right Birth Injury Law Firm
In this day and age, most people turn to Google to find a birth injury law firm fast. That’s not a bad idea. But there are a few specific things you should look out for:
- Reviews: What have past clients said about their experience with this law firm? Hint: Check their Google reviews.
- Experience: Is this a law firm that takes on the occasional birth injury case? Or a bonafide birth injury law firm?
- Location: Does this firm handle cases in your state? (Some take on cases in several states or nationwide).
The right birth injury law firm is the one that also chooses you. So pick a few law firms to call. They will tell whether they’re interested in your case or not. If there’s interest on both sides, you can schedule an initial consultation.
At this consultation, you’ll tell the law firm more about your case. Then you can ask further questions. Be sure to ask about the following:
- Resources: Does the firm have access to expert physicians? These experts will give their opinion about whether negligence was involved in your case or not. You will need expert testimonies for your lawsuit to be successful.
- Results: Does this law firm have a positive track record with birth injury claims? Ask about their birth injury case results.
- Legal fees: What fees will the firm charge? Do they work on a contingency fee basis? Will you be responsible for any costs should your case be unsuccessful?
Birth injury cases are tough and complex. They’re taxing for families who are already worn down by unexpected injuries and life changes. We can help ease your burden and fight on your behalf. Call our birth injury lawyers to find out if you have a case.
