Are There Time Limits to File a Birth Injury Case?

If your child suffers a traumatic birth injury, then you should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible so that you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit within the required time. However, unless a healthcare provider informs you of an error and apologizes, which is rare, parents may not be immediately aware that anything is wrong. However, as attorneys Patrick Regan and Jacqueline Colclough explain parents are usually within the time limits to file a birth injury case. The following is a transcript of a video.

There are times when families come to us and they think that perhaps that their child has experienced a traumatic birth injury that was the result of negligence. The parents come to us and tell us that the physician involved—or one of the nurses involved or even sometimes the hospital administrator who becomes informed of it—will come to them and say we think that we made a mistake. We’re very sorry. This could have been prevented. That’s unusual. I think that’s a function of the culture of the hospital or the personality of the healthcare provider. It’s something that we can never really predict.  Because we do believe in accountability for healthcare providers who make mistakes. And that’s one reason we do what we do.

One of the most important things with a birth injury case is to determine, when does that case need to be filed? There are time limits that apply to every case. And the parents need to understand that they should investigate the case. At the earliest possible opportunity before it becomes too late. Some injuries don’t become obvious to the parents until the child is maybe a year old. That’s—there’s still time in most instances to have the case investigated. The statute of limitations usually is going to be longer than a year. Each jurisdiction has their own statute of limitations and for that reason, it’s very important that parents who suspect that there’s been a birth injury consult with a lawyer as soon as possible. To make sure that if there is a claim, it can be filed within the statute of limitations.

If you suspect that your child has suffered a birth injury, contact the birth injury lawyers at Regan Zambri Long for a free case evaluation.

About the Author

Patrick M. Regan, Esq.

Patrick Regan is a board certified personal injury lawyer and a founding partner at Regan Zambri Long. His practice is devoted to helping those who suffered catastrophic injuries in car accidents, truck accidents, Metro accidents, and medical malpractice. Over his nearly 40-year career, Patrick has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in the history of Washington, DC on behalf of injured victims. Patrick is licensed to practice law in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland. He received his B.A. at Hamilton College and his J.D. at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.