Cerebral palsy is a lifelong neurological condition that affects muscle tone, movement, and posture. It often begins with oxygen deprivation or trauma during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. When those injuries result from avoidable medical mistakes, the harm becomes a matter of medical negligence.
Our Bel Air South cerebral palsy attorneys explain that common errors, such as ignoring fetal distress, delaying an emergency C-section, or misusing delivery tools, can deprive a baby’s brain of vital oxygen in minutes. We highlight the “why” behind each error because families deserve to know whether their child’s challenges were preventable.
How Do I Know If My Child’s Cerebral Palsy Was Caused by Malpractice?
Parents often feel lost after a diagnosis. Clear warning signs help focus the search for answers:
- Unaddressed fetal distress – Abnormal heart tracings that were not acted on.
- Traumatic forceps or vacuum use – Excessive pressure damaging the skull and brain.
- Delayed C-section – Prolonged labor despite distress signals.
- Unresolved cord or placental problems – Known risks the team failed to correct.
- Untreated neonatal crises – Seizures, severe jaundice, or infection left unmanaged.
Our team, led by Bel Air South cerebral palsy lawyer Jonathan Schochor and birth-injury attorney Kerry Staton, obtains medical records, consults neonatologists, and reconstructs the delivery timeline. That expert review tells you whether malpractice, not fate, caused your child’s injuries.
What Birth Injuries or Errors Commonly Lead to Cerebral Palsy?
Oxygen Deprivation (Birth Asphyxia)
Interrupted oxygen flow during birth damages brain tissue. Failures to relieve a twisted umbilical cord or to order a timely C-section are classic examples.
Traumatic Delivery Injuries
Forceful use of forceps or a vacuum extractor can bruise or bleed the infant brain. Improper shoulder-dystocia maneuvers may also injure delicate nerves and tissue.
Untreated Maternal Infections
Group B strep, chorioamnionitis, or high fever can cross the placenta and inflame the baby’s brain when not promptly tested for and treated.
Mismanagement of Labor Medications
Over-stimulation from Pitocin or Cytotec can cause powerful contractions that restrict oxygen. Careful monitoring is essential but too often lacking.
Postnatal Negligence
Failure to treat jaundice, seizures, or respiratory distress in the nursery can transform a manageable condition into permanent cerebral palsy.
Every item on this list is preventable with diligent care. When medical teams break these safety rules, our Bel Air South birth-injury lawyers pursue accountability.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Child’s Cerebral Palsy?
Liability often rests with the delivering obstetrician or nursing staff whose negligence caused the harm. The hospital or birthing center may share responsibility under the rule of respondeat superior because employers answer for employees’ errors.
Families sometimes hesitate to sue a trusted physician. Lawsuits target the provider’s malpractice insurance, not personal assets, so justice need not bankrupt an individual. Our Harford County cerebral palsy legal team identifies every accountable party to secure full compensation.
Why Do I Need a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer in Bel Air South?
Cerebral palsy claims demand deep medical insight and mastery of Maryland malpractice law. We gather records, hire leading experts, and file claims through the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office when required.
Bel Air South cerebral palsy attorney Kerry Staton knows local judges, mediators, and hospital counsel. Our proximity—just off I-95 and minutes from Fountain Green and Emmorton—means we can meet families at home or at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center to review records. Compassion, convenience, and courtroom strength are why parents trust us.
“Kerry Staton and Josh Kahn handled my case extremely well. From the first contact up to the outcome, along with team, they were very professional and provided great counsel. They combine the experience, skills and expertise that deliver great results. It would have been enough to be very satisfied but what was unexpected was their level of compassion and support in my most difficult time.” – Laetitia M
What Compensation Can a Cerebral Palsy Malpractice Lawsuit Provide?
Financial recovery funds lifetime care that love alone cannot buy.
- Medical Expenses – Surgeries, medications, adaptive equipment.
- Therapy & Rehabilitation – Physical, occupational, and speech therapy for decades.
- Special Education & Care – Tuition, in-home aides, respite services.
- Home/Vehicle Modifications – Ramps, lifts, accessible vans.
- Pain, Suffering & Emotional Distress – Maryland caps these damages, yet they remain vital recognition of hardship.
- Loss of Future Earnings – Protection when a child will never work independently.
Our Bel Air South cerebral palsy lawyers recently obtained a $13.3 million Maryland birth-injury verdict, proof that determined advocacy changes lives.
How Long Do I Have to File a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit in Maryland?
Maryland generally permits a child’s claim until age 21, but parents’ related claims may expire sooner. Evidence fades and memories blur, so early action safeguards your rights. We calculate every deadline and move quickly to preserve records before they disappear.
Why Choose Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea for Your Bel Air South Case?
We have fought medical negligence for more than 35 years, recovering hundreds of millions for injured children statewide. Bel Air South cerebral palsy lawyer Jonathan Schochor has been honored among Maryland Super Lawyers®, while our colleague Kerry Staton chairs professional boards on patient safety.
Our in-house medical advisors spot errors hidden deep in charts. Our small-team approach means you speak directly with a partner, never a call-center clerk. From Emmorton to Fountain Green, we guide families as though they were our own.
Local Support for Bel Air South Families (Fountain Green, Emmorton & Beyond)
We serve clients throughout Harford County and meet wherever is easiest: your kitchen table, a hospital room, or our Baltimore office down MD-924. Knowing local schools, therapists, and support programs lets us recommend practical resources while the case proceeds.
Talk With a Caring Birth-Injury Lawyer Today
Your first call costs nothing and may change your child’s future. Dial (443) 909-2792 or complete our secure form 24/7. Our Bel Air South cerebral palsy attorneys work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win. You carry enough; let us shoulder the legal fight.
You are not alone. We are ready to seek answers, justice, and lasting support for your family.