Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Have Been Recovered for Injured Babies and Children
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Becoming a parent is one of the most incredible, life-changing experiences a person can have. It’s a journey filled with hopes, dreams, and a fierce desire to protect your little one—especially the hope for good health for your newborn. In our decades of experience supporting children and families in Harrisburg and across Central Pennsylvania, we have seen the full spectrum of this journey.
We want to talk about a topic that is often difficult for parents to discuss: birth injury. Our goal isn’t to create fear. Instead, it’s to provide you with honest, clear, and caring information so you can be a better advocate for your child. We’ll take a close, caring look at what a birth injury is, how often it happens here in Harrisburg, PA, and what you can do to protect your baby. The journey to a healthy future begins with knowledge.
First, let’s define what a birth injury actually is. It’s a type of injury that happens to a baby during or immediately after the labor and delivery process, often as a result of birth complications. It’s different from a birth defect, which is a condition that a baby is born with due to genetic or developmental issues. A birth injury, in contrast, is often caused by some form of pressure, stress, or medical error during the delivery itself.
These injuries can range from minor issues like bruising or nerve pressure that heal quickly to more serious, life-altering conditions like cerebral palsy or brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen. When oxygen deprivation and reduced blood flow occur during birth, they can cause lasting harm to the baby’s brain, leading to conditions such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), developmental delays, and neurological impairments. What’s most important to understand is that many birth injuries are preventable. They often happen when a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional fails to take the proper steps to ensure a safe delivery, like:
We understand that thinking about these possibilities can be unsettling. But by understanding the risks and the signs, you empower yourself to have informed conversations with your medical team and to seek help if something goes wrong.
Birth injuries can have a profound and lasting impact on a child’s life, making it essential for families in Harrisburg to understand the different types of injuries that can occur during the birthing process. Being informed about these conditions not only helps you recognize the signs early but also empowers you to seek the right medical care and legal advice if you suspect something went wrong. Harrisburg birth injury lawyers have seen firsthand how critical early intervention and advocacy can be for injury victims and their families.
Here are some of the most common types of birth injuries that families should be aware of:
These are just a few examples of the birth injuries that can occur when medical professionals fail to provide the standard of care every family deserves. If your child suffered a birth injury, it’s crucial to seek legal help from an experienced Harrisburg birth injury attorney. Our law firm has a proven track record of helping families navigate the complexities of birth injury cases, holding negligent parties accountable, and pursuing compensation for medical care, therapy, and other needs.
Our injury lawyers in Harrisburg, PA, are dedicated to supporting injury victims and their families every step of the way. We offer free consultations to discuss your legal options and help you determine the best path forward. If you believe your child’s injury was caused by medical malpractice or negligence, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to provide the legal help and compassionate guidance your family needs to move forward.
When you’re pregnant, you’re often focused on the exciting milestones—seeing the first ultrasound, feeling the first kick, and counting down the days. It’s easy to assume everything will go perfectly. And for many families, it does. But it’s important to be aware of some of the local statistics that are often overlooked so that you can be better prepared.
Birth Babies in the Harrisburg Area
Let’s start with the numbers. Our city—including Harrisburg, Cumberland, and Dauphin counties combined—sees about 1,400 new babies welcomed into the world each year. That’s a lot of growing families! Among those many births, some are early (preterm) or have a low weight. These babies, even when otherwise healthy, are at a higher risk for birth injuries—even when everything else seems to be going well.
Hidden Medical Malpractice Birth Injury Stats That Matter in Harrisburg
Here are some local numbers that you may not have heard before, but are crucial for understanding the risks in our community:
The Quiet Risks You Don’t Hear About
Beyond the typical medical statistics, not many people talk about how Harrisburg’s local environment can impact a pregnancy. Regional air quality and extreme heat days can make things harder for babies and moms during pregnancy. These environmental risks can quietly increase the chances of complications, such as a baby being born early or with a low birth weight, which in turn increases the risk of birth injury. It’s another reason why being proactive and talking to your doctor is so important.
Even if these percentages seem small, they represent a harsh reality for many families in our area. A number like 8% or 10% might not seem like a lot, but when you apply it to the thousands of babies born in the Harrisburg area, it means dozens of families every year face the challenges of a birth injury. These injuries—whether bruising, nerve pressure, or long-term effects like cerebral palsy—can be life-altering.
Seeing these numbers helps families stay alert, ask better questions, and get help sooner. The best tool you have is knowledge, and understanding your child’s specific risk factors can empower you to have a proactive and engaged role in your child’s care.
When a child suffers a birth injury in Harrisburg, the effects ripple through every aspect of family life. The reality is that birth injuries don’t just impact the child—they touch parents, siblings, and the entire support system. Harrisburg birth injury lawyers see firsthand how overwhelming this journey can be, and why compassionate, experienced legal help is so critical.
Financial Strain and the Cost of Care
One of the most immediate and daunting challenges families face after a birth injury is the financial burden. Medical bills for specialized care, ongoing physical therapy, adaptive equipment, and even necessary modifications to the home can quickly add up. Many families find themselves struggling to keep up with these expenses, especially when one parent may need to reduce work hours or leave a job to care for their child. Harrisburg birth injury attorneys understand these pressures and are dedicated to pursuing compensation for your child’s injuries, ensuring coverage for both current medical bills and the long-term costs associated with your child’s injuries.
Emotional Impact and the Need for Support
Beyond the financial toll, the emotional impact of a birth injury can be profound. Parents often experience stress, anxiety, and even grief as they adjust to a new reality. The uncertainty about the future, the demands of daily care, and the fear of what lies ahead can feel isolating. Harrisburg birth injury lawyers provide more than just legal representation—they offer guidance, understanding, and a steady hand through the legal process. Their support helps families feel less alone during a very scary time.
Catastrophic and Permanent Injuries
Some birth injuries are catastrophic, resulting in permanent injuries such as cerebral palsy, brain damage, or even wrongful death. These cases require not only immediate medical intervention but also a lifetime of specialized care and support. Harrisburg birth injury lawyers fight tirelessly for families facing these devastating outcomes, ensuring that negligent parties are held accountable and that families receive the full compensation they need to secure their child’s future.
Why Legal Help Matters
If your child has suffered a birth injury, seeking legal advice from an experienced Harrisburg birth injury lawyer is essential. These attorneys have a proven track record in medical malpractice cases and understand the complexities of Pennsylvania law. They work closely with medical experts to determine if your child’s injury was caused by medical negligence—such as oxygen deprivation, fetal distress, or other medical mistakes—and help you pursue a medical malpractice claim if warranted.
Access to Resources and Ongoing Care
Harrisburg birth injury attorneys do more than just handle legal claims. They connect families with trusted medical experts and resources, ensuring that your child receives the best possible care. Whether you need help finding specialists, arranging for physical therapy, or understanding your child’s long-term needs, your legal team is there to support you every step of the way.
Take the Next Step for Your Family
No family should have to navigate the aftermath of a birth injury alone. If you are facing the challenges of a birth injury in Harrisburg, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Harrisburg birth injury lawyer. With their legal experience, proven track record, and commitment to pursuing compensation, you can focus on what matters most—caring for your child and building a hopeful future.
Birth injuries can result from a range of causes, including medical negligence, oxygen deprivation, and failure to properly monitor fetal distress. By seeking legal help, you can determine the cause of your child’s injuries and explore your legal options for holding negligent parties accountable.
In conclusion, birth injuries have far-reaching consequences for families in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. With the support of experienced birth injury lawyers, you can secure the compensation and resources your family needs to move forward. Don’t wait to seek legal advice—your child’s well-being and your family’s future may depend on it.
Feeling prepared is the best way to handle the journey of pregnancy and delivery. Here’s how you can be ready and proactive, turning knowledge into action.
At The Child and Birth Injury Firm, our medical malpractice teams bring decades of local experience with families in Harrisburg and throughout Central Pennsylvania. Our experienced attorneys are recognized within the legal community for their dedication and results in complex birth injury cases. We’re here to listen, explain your options, and support you—always with caring, clear guidance, and without any pressure. We are more than just a legal team; we are a resource for our community.
We hope this information helps you feel more informed, empowered, and supported. The birth of a child is a time of hope, and every family deserves to feel confident and secure. We’re your local team, with genuine care and real answers.
As a leading medical center in the region, they offer specialized care for complex pediatric conditions, including those resulting from birth injuries.
These county-run programs in Dauphin and Cumberland counties provide crucial, no-cost or low-cost therapy and support for children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays.
Website for Dauphin County: https://www.dauphincounty.gov/government/departments/drug-and-alcohol-services/early-intervention
Website for Cumberland County: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/160/Early-Intervention
Though located in nearby Lancaster, this center is a key resource offering comprehensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy for children with a wide range of developmental needs.
Website: https://www.schreiberpediatric.org
PSI provides a variety of free, online support groups, including a “Birth Trauma Support” group that is an invaluable resource for parents needing a safe, confidential space to talk about their experiences.
This organization offers a wealth of information and resources for families, focusing on baby and maternal health. They can connect you with local support networks and provide education on various conditions.
Website: https://www.marchofdimes.org
What's the difference between a birth injury and a birth defect, and how can a lawyer help me tell?
This is often the first question a parent has. A birth defect is a condition that a baby is born with, often due to genetic or developmental factors that occurred in the womb. For example, a baby with spina bifida or a congenital heart defect has a birth defect.
A birth injury, on the other hand, is an injury that happens to a baby just before, during, or just after the birthing process. These injuries are often caused by some form of physical trauma or a lack of oxygen due to a medical mistake. This could include a doctor improperly using forceps, a nurse failing to monitor a baby in distress, or a delayed C-section.
A birth injury attorney, such as a Harrisburg birth injury attorney, plays a vital role in helping families understand their legal options after a birth injury. Our birth injury attorneys work with medical experts to review your entire birth injury case, including medical records and fetal monitoring strips, to determine if your child’s injury was a preventable birth injury caused by negligence. Birth injury claims involve a thorough review of medical records and an assessment of whether medical negligence occurred, which is essential for filing a claim and seeking compensation. If you believe your child has suffered harm, a birth injury attorney can help you evaluate your potential birth injury case and guide you through the process of pursuing birth injury claims.
Can I sue for pain, suffering, and the emotional toll on my family?
Yes, absolutely. A birth injury lawsuit is not just about paying for medical bills. Injured parties and injury victims, including children and their families, are entitled to seek compensation for a wide range of damages. While compensation for past and future medical expenses, therapy, and specialized equipment is a major part of the claim, it also seeks to cover economic damages such as lost wages or loss of earning capacity resulting from the injury. In addition, “non-economic damages” are meant to compensate your family for the immense emotional and psychological toll a birth injury can take. This includes money for your child’s pain and suffering, as well as the emotional distress and diminished quality of life for the entire family. In cases of egregious negligence, punitive damages may also be available to punish wrongful conduct and deter future harm. Our medical malpractice birth injury teams of lawyers will help you document these often-immeasurable losses to ensure you receive full and fair compensation.
How long do I have to file a birth injury lawsuit in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a statute of limitations, which sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit. For birth injury cases, this can be complex. In general, the statute of limitations for a birth injury claim is two years from the date the injury occurred. However, Pennsylvania law makes a special exception for minors. The clock on the statute of limitations for an injured person who is a child generally does not begin until they turn 18. This means you typically have until your child’s 20th birthday to file a lawsuit on behalf of the injured person.
Despite this extended timeline, it’s crucial not to wait. The sooner you contact our medical malpractice lawyers, the better. Evidence can be lost, and witness memories can fade. Our lawyers need time to investigate your case, gather medical records, and consult with medical experts to build the strongest possible case for your child’s future.
What about other responsible parties? Can anyone besides the doctor be held accountable?
This is a great question, as liability is often a shared responsibility. While the delivering doctor is a primary focus, other parties can also be held accountable. This may include:
A Harrisburg birth injury case may involve multiple responsible parties, requiring a thorough investigation to identify all sources of liability.
Our experienced team of birth injury lawyers will investigate all of the medical providers and staff involved to determine who may share responsibility for the negligence that caused your child’s injury.
How much does it cost to hire a birth injury lawyer in Harrisburg?
For most families, hiring a birth injury lawyer in Harrisburg would be financially impossible without a specific fee arrangement. This is why the vast majority of these lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
A contingency fee means that you do not pay any legal fees or upfront costs unless and until your medical malpractice lawyer wins your case. If your lawyer is successful, they will then take a pre-agreed-upon percentage of the final settlement or court award. This percentage can vary. The law firm covers all the expenses of the case, including expert fees, court costs, and investigation expenses. If the case is unsuccessful, you owe them nothing. This arrangement allows families to pursue justice without the added burden of financial risk.
Catastrophic child and birth injuries can shatter the lives of not just the babies and children, but also their families. Families are left to navigate a complex maze of medical challenges, financial burdens, and emotional turmoil. But, this is where Jeffrey Killino and his team of dedicated lawyers can provide the support and guidance families need most.
For over 2 decades, Jeffrey Killino and his team have secured life-changing results for babies and children facing catastrophic injuries. Our clients gain access to the best medical care, financial security, and peace of mind, knowing their futures are protected.
Jeffrey Killino and his team of child and birth injury lawyers are committed to go beyond securing multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. We measure our success by our positive impact on our clients’ lives. We’re dedicated to supporting them throughout their journey, even after their case is resolved.
Jeffrey Killino and his team of child and birth injury lawyers are committed to more than just securing multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. We measure our success by our positive impact on our clients’ lives, helping them access the best medical care, achieve financial security, and find peace of mind. We also actively work to prevent injuries and promote safety for everyone.
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