Jonathan Schochor, Hagerstown cerebral palsy lawyer, and Kerry Staton, a respected cerebral palsy attorney in Hagerstown, have spent more than four decades fighting for children hurt by medical negligence.
Our firm, Schochor, Staton, Goldberg & Cardea, P.A., has successfully recovered over $1 billion for victims since 1984. We approach every new birth injury claim with the same compassion and sense of urgency. For a free and confidential consultation, please call (443) 909-2792 or complete our secure contact form.
Hagerstown’s families rely on Meritus Medical Center and other local hospitals for safe deliveries, when preventable mistakes there cause cerebral palsy (CP), we marshal in-house medical investigators and nationally known experts to pursue justice.
“With Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea you receive exactly what’s needed…expert representation with integrity and professionalism at a time when you need it most.” – Stephanie
What Is Cerebral Palsy and Can Medical Negligence Cause It?
Cerebral palsy is a lifelong neurological condition that affects muscle control, movement, and coordination. Roughly 2 in every 1,000 U.S. births result in CP, meaning about 10,000 newborns each year begin life with significant physical challenges. CP is non-progressive, it will not worsen, but the costs and care it demands often last a lifetime.
Many cases stem from natural factors such as genetic issues or unpreventable complications. Yet medical negligence can also trigger brain damage that leads to CP. Oxygen deprivation during labor, untreated infections, or head trauma in delivery are classic examples. Not every diagnosis equals malpractice, but when evidence shows a doctor’s error caused the injury, families have legal rights to pursue compensation.
How Medical Mistakes During Birth Can Lead to Cerebral Palsy
Medical negligence can injure a baby’s brain and cause CP. Key scenarios include:
- Oxygen Deprivation (Birth Asphyxia). Failure to monitor fetal distress or to perform a timely C-section can leave a baby without oxygen long enough to cause brain injury.
- Traumatic Delivery. Excessive force with forceps or vacuum extractors can fracture the skull or cause intracranial bleeding that develops into CP.
- Untreated Severe Jaundice (Kernicterus). When dangerous bilirubin levels go unmanaged, permanent athetoid CP may follow.
- Maternal or Neonatal Infections. Undiagnosed uterine infections, meningitis, or sepsis can inflame the brain and impair motor control.
- Other Complications. Placental abruption, mismanaged breech births, and high-risk multiple pregnancies require vigilant care. Lapses can be catastrophic.
Obstetric teams are trained to prevent these outcomes. If a delivery team at Meritus Medical Center or another Western Maryland hospital fell below accepted standards, our Hagerstown cerebral palsy attorneys will uncover that failure and fight for accountability.
We Handle Every Type of Cerebral Palsy Case
Families come to us with spastic, athetoid/dyskinetic, ataxic, or mixed forms of CP, and we have secured results for each. Associated challenges, developmental delays, seizures, feeding issues, are familiar territory for our birth injury attorneys at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea. We also pursue rare claims involving hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), brain bleeds, or kernicterus-induced CP, proving that no diagnosis is too uncommon for our legal team.
How Our Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Help Your Family
Our attorneys lead families through investigation, litigation, and resolution while they focus on caring for their child.
- Thorough Investigation. We scrutinize medical charts, fetal monitoring strips, and lab data, consult neonatologists, and leverage our in-house medical investigators to pinpoint errors.
- Legal Assessment. We explain in plain language whether the standard of care was breached and whether that breach directly harmed your child.
- Full-Service Advocacy. We file the claim, hire experts, negotiate with insurers, and, when needed, try the case before a jury. Our Western Maryland cerebral palsy lawyers prepare every file for trial from day one.
- Future-Focused Compensation. We calculate the lifelong costs of therapies, equipment, and home modifications, ensuring any settlement or verdict truly secures your child’s future.
- Compassionate Support. We connect clients to trusted specialists, social workers, and local United Cerebral Palsy resources because legal victories alone do not meet every need.
- No Fee Unless We Win. Consultations are free, and we advance all case expenses. You owe nothing unless we obtain compensation.
Compensation Available in a Cerebral Palsy Malpractice Claim
Financial recovery exists to cover the immense costs of CP, not to place a price on a child’s life. Damages may include:
- Medical Expenses. Past bills and future surgeries, medications, and physician visits.
- Therapy and Rehabilitation. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy that often continues indefinitely.
- Long-Term Care and Equipment. In-home nursing, wheelchairs, walkers, and home or vehicle modifications.
- Educational Support. Special-education services, tutoring, or assistive technology.
- Pain and Suffering. Compensation for the emotional and physical hardships endured by the child and family.
- Lost Earnings. Income a parent forfeits to provide at-home care and any future wages the child cannot earn.
Studies place the lifetime cost of severe CP in the millions. Our Hagerstown birth injury attorneys work to secure every dollar necessary to meet that reality.
Maryland’s Deadline to File a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit
Maryland law sets strict time limits. A medical malpractice claim must be filed within five years of the injury or three years from when the injury was discovered, whichever is earlier. For minors, the statute is typically extended, but evidence fades quickly. Parents should act now to preserve records and witness memories. Our attorneys clarify every deadline during a free consultation.
Why Choose Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea for Your Child’s Case?
Our experience in medical malpractice is unmatched in Maryland. Since 1984, our birth injury attorneys have earned over 90 professional honors and recovered more than $1 billion for injured patients. Hagerstown cerebral palsy attorneys Jonathan Schochor and Kerry Staton lead a trial-ready team that includes nurse consultants, life-care planners, and seasoned paralegals who prepare comprehensive claims.
Clients value our empathy as much as our results. We see the human story behind every medical chart and treat families with the dignity they deserve. Although our primary office sits in Baltimore, we proudly serve Hagerstown, Halfway, Funkstown, Smithsburg, and all of Western Maryland, meeting clients in person, by phone, or via secure video. Insurance carriers know we will take a case to verdict rather than accept an inadequate offer.
- Jonathan Schochor – Founding Partner & Chairman
Multi-million-dollar trial lawyer recognized by Maryland Super Lawyers and Lawdragon 500 for outstanding advocacy in birth injury litigation. - Kerry D. Staton – Founding Partner
Prominent trial lawyer recognized by Maryland Super Lawyers and Lawdragon 500 for outstanding advocacy in birth injury litigation.
Local Community and Support Resources
Families in Hagerstown can find therapy and adaptive programs at Meritus Medical Center’s pediatric rehabilitation services and community assistance through Washington County Disability Services and United Cerebral Palsy of Central Maryland. We routinely guide clients toward these resources while litigation is pending because complete care extends beyond the courthouse.
Contact Our Hagerstown Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Today
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you suspect a medical mistake is to blame, reach out now. Call (443) 909-2792 or complete our secure contact form for a free, confidential consultation. We will answer your questions, evaluate your case, and explain how we can secure the funding your child needs. No fees unless we win.