Birth injuries can turn what should be a joyful time into a frightening medical and financial crisis for the entire family, leaving parents searching for answers, support, and accountability. When questions about prenatal care, labor decisions, delivery complications, or newborn treatment remain unresolved, the uncertainty can feel overwhelming. An Alexandria birth injury lawyer can be instrumental in helping you understand what happened and whether medical negligence played a role.
At Regan Zambri Long, our Northern Virginia personal injury lawyers have almost 200 years of combined experience in helping families seek compensation for catastrophic injuries sustained during the labor and delivery process. We’ve achieved over $1 billion in recoveries for our clients, and our team includes a former neonatal nurse who is regarded as DC’s leading nurse attorney, and three of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Washington, DC.
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A birth injury is any injury or damage that occurs to the baby during pregnancy or labor and delivery. The damage can be external injuries or internal defects, usually as a result of trauma.
It’s important to distinguish between a birth injury and a birth defect. The baby inherits a birth defect through genetics. Birth injuries are not inherited. They are often the result of negligence by a healthcare provider either during the mother’s pregnancy or labor and delivery.
If a medical professional acted negligently and caused you or your child to suffer a birth injury in Alexandria, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim for compensation. At Regan Zambri Long, our dedicated team of birth injury lawyers is committed to thoroughly investigating every case so our clients can collect the maximum compensation available for their claims. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with a trusted Alexandria medical malpractice lawyer today.
Birth injuries are far less common than birth defects, but they still affect a meaningful number of newborns each year. Across the United States, an estimated 30,000 babies are born annually with some form of birth injury. The most severe cases make up a small share of infant loss, representing fewer than 2% of neonatal deaths and stillbirths, while broader birth injury estimates range from 6 to 8 injuries per 1,000 live births. A 2021 analysis reported a higher overall rate, estimating roughly 28 birth injuries for every 1,000 live births.
If your child suffered a birth injury or died as a result of medical negligence, a lawyer specializing in birth injury and wrongful death in Alexandria can help you with a legal claim.
Birth injury claims fall within a highly scrutinized area of medicine. Nearly 83% of OB/GYN physicians have been sued at least once during their careers. However, the fact that malpractice claims are common in this field does not mean every poor birth outcome is medical negligence. A successful claim still depends on whether the provider failed to meet the required standard of care and whether that failure caused harm.
Although not every birth injury is a result of medical malpractice, there are many cases where negligence on the part of a medical professional was the direct cause. There are four things you will need to prove in a medical malpractice case:
The Alexandria, Virginia, medical malpractice attorneys at Regan Zambri Long are experts in the law regarding birth injuries in Virginia. If you believe you have a claim due to a birth injury, please get in touch with a personal injury lawyer in Alexandria, Virginia, from Regan Zambri Long.
The common types of birth injuries include brachial plexus injuries that affect nerve function in the shoulders and arms, skull fractures from difficult extractions, temporary swelling like caput succedaneum, more serious bleeding between the skull and periosteum known as cephalohematoma, facial paralysis from pressure on facial nerves, and oxygen deprivation injuries that may lead to conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Research on neonatal birth trauma shows that some delivery-related injuries are relatively more common, while others are rare but serious. Cephalohematoma has been reported in up to 2.5% of births. Subgaleal hemorrhage is far less frequent, but the rate rises with vacuum-assisted delivery, from about 4 cases per 10,000 spontaneous vaginal deliveries to 59 cases per 10,000 vacuum-assisted deliveries.
Brachial plexus injuries are reported in up to 2.5 out of every 1,000 live births. Most infants with a birth-related brachial plexus injury recover fully, with reported recovery rates of around 70% to 80%. When recovery has not occurred by 3 months, lasting impairment is more likely, particularly in the shoulder, elbow, or forearm.
One common form of birth injury is cerebral palsy, impacting 10,000 babies born yearly. Between 85% and 90% of cerebral palsy cases are congenital, meaning they are related to abnormal brain development or brain damage that occurred before or during birth. Cerebral palsy occurs when there is a lack of oxygen to the child’s brain, typically when the baby is not delivered quickly enough, forceps or a vacuum is used during delivery, or there is a prolapsed cord. Cerebral palsy may also occur due to maternal infections, premature birth, c-section delays, and head trauma.
When a newborn is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, it means the baby’s brain is incapable of adequately controlling the body’s muscles. As a result, the injured child will be limited in their movement and speech. Given the medical needs of the child, it can result in costly medical bills and require permanent assistance to thrive.
Erby’s palsy is a condition caused by damage to the nerves at the base of a baby’s neck that occurs during delivery. This can result in paralysis of the baby’s arm.
This type of nerve damage injury can be caused at birth. If the infant’s head and neck are pulled to the side as the shoulders pass through the birth canal, it can cause tearing to the brachial plexus nerve.
Infant brain injuries are often severe and are likely caused by trauma during pregnancy or labor and delivery. These types of serious injuries can lead to lifelong disabilities for the child and a future of extensive medical bills for the child’s parents. Some forms of infant brain damage include:
These injuries can significantly change the quality of life for the child. If your child suffered a brain injury during childbirth, our lawyers at Regan Zambri Long are ready to help make things easier for you. Call us for your free consultation to discuss your legal options.
Many forms of delivery complications can result in injury to the infant. Common delivery birth injury causes include:
If you believe your baby suffered an injury due to the negligence of your medical team, call the compassionate attorneys at Regan Zambri Long. We will tirelessly fight for justice and seek the compensation you and your family deserve.
Birth injuries affect more than just the child who suffers from them. The fact is that having a newborn suffer a birth injury can take an emotional and physical toll on a family. Different costs you will have to think about after your child suffers a birth injury are:
The cost of the medical care administered to a child and parent during a life-or-death medical emergency caused by a birth injury can be extreme. Life-saving measures to assist the parent and the child can add up quickly. Bills can include:
To worsen a horrible situation, the victim’s insurance company may not cover all the expenses. If the parent doesn’t have insurance, the child’s care can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Therapy may be a part of everyday life for children who suffer brain injuries. The cost of occupational therapy for a child with cerebral palsy can be as expensive as $400 per hour. When you partner with a personal injury law firm, we will ensure your damages will cover the cost of therapy for your child.
Some children who suffer a birth injury will also need specialized equipment and devices. These can include ventilators, oxygen machines, walkers, speech machines, and wheelchairs with various levels of automation. A wheelchair can cost thousands of dollars alone, not including the maintenance fees.
All medical equipment eventually breaks down and needs to be replaced, costing the family thousands of dollars annually.
It is estimated that the cost of lifetime care for a child with cerebral palsy is $1.6 million.
Your insurance company’s claim may not cover these significant costs. We have the knowledge and experience to recover these costs for you and your family. Our compassionate lawyers are passionate about getting you money.
Often left out of the conversation is the pain and suffering caused by a birth injury. The mental stress, along with the physical toll of having a child with a birth injury, can cause anxiety and depression in parents. At Regan Zambri Long, we understand no dollar figure can be placed on a parent having to deal with knowing their child may never walk. But we can do everything to ensure you don’t have to worry about your finances.
Call a Northern Virginia birth injury lawyer from Regan Zambri Long to learn how we can help your family.
At Regan Zambri Long, we take the legal process very seriously and fiercely fight for our clients’ rights. In our almost 30 years of serving the communities in Northern Virginia, we have recovered millions for our clients in personal injury claims. We are confident we can build a case around your Alexandria birth injury claim that will help secure your financial future.
Partner Jacqueline Colclough brings a particularly valuable perspective to birth cases. Jackie worked as an obstetrical and neonatal nurse before building a 30-year legal career focused on birth injuries, medical malpractice, and serious personal injury litigation.
All six of Regan Zambri Long’s partners are named among the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America, and seven of our partners and attorneys are currently listed among the Best Lawyers in the District of Columbia for Plaintiff Personal Injury Litigation.
Our partners also have a strong record of leadership within the plaintiff legal community. Jackie, along with fellow partner Christopher Regan, currently sits on the Board of Governors for the District of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association, while our four other partners have all served as president of the association.
Our testimonials speak for themselves. Our clients know we have their best intentions at heart. We deeply understand what a scary, stressful, and even sad time our clients are going through. That’s why we work around the clock to secure a favorable settlement quickly. Many of the attorneys at Regan Zambri Long are parents ourselves. We know how scary things can be when it comes to the health of your child. Let us take control of the claims process while you focus on your family’s health.
There are several ways medical professionals can cause injuries during pregnancy or to a newborn. They include, but are not limited to:
In Virginia, you have two years from the injury date to sue for a birth injury. And, if the birth injury was fatal, you have two years from the death date to file a wrongful death claim.
No two birth injuries are the same, so it can be difficult to give an average settlement amount. However, many families who seek compensation for a birth injury recover a million dollars or more in damages.
To schedule a no-obligation consultation with Regan Zambri Long, a family member of the child, typically the parent or guardian will need to call or connect with us online.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.