Practice Area
Birth Injury Lawyers in California
When a preventable error during pregnancy, labor, or delivery harms a mother or baby, the consequences can last a lifetime. These are difficult, sensitive cases, and we handle them with both compassion and rigor.
- FeeNo fee unless we win
- First conversationFree and confidential
- LanguageSe habla español
Overview
How these claims work.
Birth injury claims are a form of medical negligence. They can arise from failure to monitor fetal distress, delayed C-sections, improper use of delivery instruments, medication errors, and failure to diagnose maternal conditions. Some injuries are temporary; others, like certain cases of cerebral palsy or brachial plexus injury, require lifelong care.
These cases require careful medical review by qualified experts to separate an unavoidable complication from negligent care. California’s medical malpractice framework, including its MICRA rules, shapes how these claims are valued and timed, so experienced handling matters from the start.
What We Handle
Birth injuries we review
- Cerebral palsy linked to oxygen deprivation
- Brachial plexus and Erb’s palsy
- Skull fractures and head trauma
- Injuries from improper instrument delivery
- Maternal injuries from negligent care
- Harm from delayed C-section
- Medication and dosage errors
California Law
What you should know.
-
Medical negligence has special rules
Birth injury claims fall under California’s medical malpractice framework (MICRA), which sets specific deadlines and limits on certain damages. The 2026 MICRA caps raised the limits on non-economic damages, and the timing rules differ from ordinary injury claims.
-
Deadlines for minors differ
For an injured child, California provides specific filing rules that can differ from the standard adult deadline. Because the timing is technical, getting advice early is important to protect the claim.
General information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules depend on the facts of your case, so talk to a lawyer about yours. Read our FAQ.
How We Help
What Reardon Stodolka brings to your case.
-
We read the medicine, not just the file
The firm was built around reading treatment records the way clinicians do — connecting the mechanism of your injury to the diagnosis, the prognosis, and the long-term cost. That is what stops an insurer from dismissing a serious injury as minor.
-
California is the whole practice
Deadlines, comparative-fault rules, and the insurers and courts you will face are all California-specific. The work is built around how injury claims actually move here, from the first claim letter to trial if it comes to that.
-
No fee unless we win
You pay nothing up front and nothing unless we recover for you. The first conversation is free and focused on giving you a clear, honest read on your claim.
How do I know if a birth injury was caused by negligence?
Not every difficult birth is malpractice. It takes qualified medical experts to review the records and determine whether the care fell below the accepted standard and caused the harm. We arrange that review.
How long do we have to file a birth injury claim?
California’s medical malpractice rules set specific deadlines, and the timing for an injured child can differ from an adult’s. Because the rules are technical, contact us early so the claim is protected.
What does the 2026 MICRA change mean for my claim?
California raised the cap on non-economic damages in medical negligence cases. It affects how these claims are valued. We can explain how the current limits apply to your situation.
Free Case Review
Ready to talk about your case?
Share what happened and the questions weighing on you. The first conversation is free, confidential, and focused on clarity — with no fee unless we win.