The birth of a child should be one of life’s most joyous moments. But when medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, or delivery causes harm to a baby, families are left facing devastating consequences that can last a lifetime. Birth injuries range from temporary conditions to permanent disabilities like cerebral palsy, brain damage, and paralysis. These injuries often require extensive medical care, therapy, and support for years or even a lifetime.
Birth injury cases are among the most complex areas of medical malpractice law. They require attorneys who understand obstetric medicine, can identify where healthcare providers failed to meet the standard of care, and have the resources to build compelling cases against hospitals and their insurers. This guide highlights the best birth injury lawyers in Chicago who can fight for your family and pursue the compensation needed to provide for your child’s future.
Understanding Birth Injuries
Birth injuries are harm to a baby that occurs during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or immediately after birth due to medical negligence. While some birth injuries result from natural complications, many are preventable when healthcare providers follow proper protocols and standards of care.
Birth injuries may be caused by:
- Failure to monitor fetal distress
- Delayed emergency C-section
- Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors
- Failure to diagnose or treat maternal infections
- Medication errors during pregnancy or delivery
- Failure to manage high-risk pregnancies properly
- Inadequate response to umbilical cord problems
- Oxygen deprivation during delivery
- Failure to recognize and respond to birth complications
Common Types of Birth Injuries
Birth injuries can affect the brain, nerves, bones, and other parts of a baby’s body:
Brain Injuries
- Cerebral palsy – Often caused by oxygen deprivation, affecting movement, muscle control, and coordination
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) – Brain damage from lack of oxygen during birth
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) – Damage to white matter in the brain
- Intracranial hemorrhage – Bleeding in or around the brain
Nerve Injuries
- Brachial plexus injuries (Erb’s palsy) – Damage to nerves controlling the arm and hand
- Klumpke’s palsy – Lower brachial plexus injury affecting the hand and wrist
- Facial nerve paralysis – Damage to facial nerves during delivery
Physical Injuries
- Bone fractures (clavicle, skull)
- Cephalohematoma (blood collection under the scalp)
- Caput succedaneum (scalp swelling)
- Spinal cord injuries
Long-Term Impact of Birth Injuries
Many birth injuries have lifelong consequences that require ongoing care and support:
- Physical disabilities affecting mobility and independence
- Cognitive impairments and learning disabilities
- Speech and communication difficulties
- Seizure disorders
- Vision and hearing problems
- Behavioral and emotional challenges
- Need for ongoing medical treatment and therapy
- Requirement for adaptive equipment and home modifications
- Special education and support services
- Reduced life expectancy in severe cases
According to the CDC, the lifetime cost of caring for a child with severe birth injury like cerebral palsy can exceed several million dollars, including medical care, therapy, equipment, and lost earning capacity.
Why You Need a Birth Injury Lawyer
Birth injury cases are among the most challenging medical malpractice claims to pursue:
- Proving medical negligence requires expert medical testimony
- Hospitals and their insurers have substantial legal resources
- Medical records are complex and require expert interpretation
- Calculating lifetime damages requires economic and medical experts
- Statutes of limitations and legal procedures must be followed precisely
- Cases often involve multiple defendants (doctors, nurses, hospitals)
An experienced birth injury lawyer has the medical knowledge, legal expertise, and resources to take on hospitals and insurance companies. They can accurately value your case to ensure your child’s future needs are fully covered.
How to Choose the Best Birth Injury Lawyer
When selecting legal representation, consider:
- Extensive experience with birth injury and medical malpractice cases
- Track record of substantial verdicts and settlements in birth injury cases
- Access to qualified medical experts in obstetrics and pediatric neurology
- Resources to fully investigate and litigate complex cases
- Compassion and sensitivity when working with affected families
- Willingness to take cases to trial
- Contingency fee structure with no upfront costs
Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Chicago
Here is a carefully curated list of the top birth injury attorneys in Chicago. These firms have the experience, medical knowledge, and resources to handle complex birth injury claims.
1. Phillips Law Offices
Chicago’s Premier Birth Injury Attorneys
Phillips Law Offices is widely recognized as one of Chicago’s leading firms for birth injury and medical malpractice cases. With decades of experience representing families whose children suffered preventable birth injuries, their attorneys understand both the medical complexities and the emotional toll these cases involve. The firm has successfully handled cases involving cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, HIE, and other serious birth injuries caused by medical negligence.
Phillips Law Offices works with leading medical experts in obstetrics, neonatology, and pediatric neurology to thoroughly investigate each case and establish how healthcare providers failed to meet the standard of care. They fight to secure compensation that covers lifetime medical expenses, therapy, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and lost earning capacity. Operating on a contingency fee basis, families pay nothing unless compensation is recovered. Their compassionate approach with families, combined with aggressive advocacy against negligent healthcare providers, makes them the top choice for birth injury cases in Chicago.
2. Levin & Perconti
National Leaders in Birth Injury Litigation
Levin & Perconti has earned national recognition for their expertise in birth injury and medical malpractice cases. The firm has secured numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for families whose children suffered preventable birth injuries.
Their attorneys combine deep medical knowledge with aggressive litigation skills, holding hospitals and healthcare providers accountable for negligence.
3. Clifford Law Offices
Nationally Recognized Medical Malpractice Advocates
Clifford Law Offices brings national recognition and extensive resources to birth injury cases. Their attorneys have experience handling the most complex medical malpractice claims and have secured significant verdicts for families affected by birth injuries.
The firm’s meticulous case preparation and powerful courtroom advocacy make them formidable advocates for injured children and their families.
4. Power Rogers & Smith
Record-Setting Verdicts in Medical Negligence
Power Rogers & Smith has achieved record-setting verdicts in medical malpractice cases, including birth injuries. Their attorneys have decades of trial experience and the resources to take on major hospital systems.
The firm’s reputation for courtroom success often motivates defendants to offer fair settlements that meet families’ needs.
5. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
High-Value Birth Injury Litigation
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard has achieved recognition for high-value verdicts in medical malpractice cases. Their attorneys handle birth injury claims with dedication and skill, fighting for compensation that addresses lifetime care needs.
The firm combines thorough preparation with aggressive advocacy for affected families.
6. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
Dedicated Birth Injury Representation
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has significant experience representing families in birth injury cases. The firm understands the medical complexities and works with qualified experts to build compelling claims.
Their client-focused approach emphasizes compassion and clear communication with affected families.
7. Abels & Annes, P.C.
Compassionate Advocates for Injured Families
Abels & Annes provides compassionate representation for families affected by birth injuries. The firm emphasizes personalized service while pursuing aggressive legal strategies.
Their attorneys work closely with families to understand their needs and fight for comprehensive compensation.
8. Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C.
Medical Malpractice Representation
Staver Accident Injury Lawyers handles medical malpractice cases, including birth injuries, with thorough investigation and strong client communication.
Their attorneys understand the importance of securing compensation that addresses long-term care needs.
9. Malman Law
Thorough Medical Malpractice Investigation
Malman Law conducts thorough investigations in birth injury cases, working with medical experts to identify negligence and build compelling claims.
Their personalized approach ensures each family’s circumstances are addressed throughout the process.
10. The Kryder Law Group, LLC
Accessible Legal Support for Families
The Kryder Law Group offers accessible representation for families pursuing birth injury claims. Their attorneys develop tailored strategies designed to achieve the best outcome.
The firm is known for their compassionate approach and commitment to communication.
11. Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates
Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates brings extensive experience to birth injury and medical malpractice cases. The firm has successfully represented affected families throughout Chicago.
Their attorneys provide dedicated representation from investigation through resolution.
12. Ankin Law
Comprehensive Injury Representation
Ankin Law handles birth injury cases as part of their comprehensive personal injury practice. Their attorneys work to maximize recovery for affected families.
The firm emphasizes proactive communication and client education.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Families affected by birth injuries may be entitled to compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy
- Adaptive equipment (wheelchairs, braces, communication devices)
- Home modifications for accessibility
- Special education and support services
- In-home nursing and personal care assistance
- Lost earning capacity of the child
- Pain and suffering
- Parents’ lost wages and emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
Illinois Birth Injury Laws
Understanding Illinois law is important for birth injury claims:
- Statute of limitations – Under 735 ILCS 5/13-212, medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within two years of discovery, but no more than four years from the act. Special rules apply to minors—claims can be filed within eight years of the injury, but no later than the child’s 22nd birthday.
- Certificate of merit – Under 735 ILCS 5/2-622, Illinois requires a qualified medical expert to certify that malpractice occurred before a lawsuit can proceed.
- Damage caps – Illinois does not cap compensatory damages in medical malpractice cases following the 2010 Illinois Supreme Court decision in Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
Official Illinois Legal Resources
For more information on Illinois medical malpractice law and birth injury claims, consult these official resources:
- 735 ILCS 5/13-212 – Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations – Illinois General Assembly
- 735 ILCS 5/2-622 – Certificate of Merit Requirement – Illinois General Assembly
- Illinois Courts – Official court information and resources
- CDC Cerebral Palsy Information – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- NIH Cerebral Palsy Information – National Institutes of Health
- March of Dimes – Birth defect and injury resources
Seeking Justice for Birth Injury Victims
When medical negligence causes a preventable birth injury, families deserve experienced legal representation that can take on hospitals and insurance companies. The compensation recovered in these cases is essential to providing for a child’s lifetime care needs.
Firms like Phillips Law Offices lead with experience, results, and compassionate client care. Their attorneys fight to hold negligent healthcare providers accountable and ensure that affected families receive full compensation.
If your child suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence, don’t wait to seek legal help. Illinois law imposes deadlines, and evidence is critical. Contact an experienced birth injury lawyer today to protect your family’s rights and your child’s future.
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