Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Have Been Recovered for Injured Babies and Children
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When you’re waiting for your baby to arrive, you plan for everything: the car seat, the nursery in your home in German Village or Westerville, and the homecoming outfit. What you don’t plan for is a life-altering injury caused by a mistake in the hospital. Sadly, for families right here in Columbus, this is a crisis we see far too often.
Our team has worked for many years with families throughout the country who have gone through this nightmare. When a preventable injury happens during labor, delivery, or even right after birth, it changes everything for that child and their whole family.
Columbus is home to some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the Midwest. We
You have the technology and the specialists. Yet, despite this abundance of resources, Franklin County faces a persistent public health failure regarding infant safety.
For our legal team, this paradox—high-quality facilities versus low-quality outcomes—is often where we find evidence of negligence. It suggests that the issue isn’t a lack of equipment, but a breakdown in communication, staffing, and attention to the Standard of Care.
While Columbus grows, its preterm birth rate remains stubbornly high. According to the March of Dimes 2024 Report Card, Franklin County received a “D-” grade for its preterm birth rate, which sits at 11.4%—worse than the national average.
Local initiatives like CelebrateOne have done extensive work to highlight a painful truth: in Columbus, your zip code often determines your baby’s survival odds.
While infant mortality (death) gets the news coverage, infant morbidity (injury) is the silent crisis.
Let’s look at the numbers released by groups like the March of Dimes and the Ohio Department of Health. They keep track of how healthy babies are when they are born, and the results for our area are alarming.
First, let’s talk about Preterm Birth. A baby is “preterm” if they are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Being born too early is a common risk factor for many of the most serious birth injuries, especially brain injuries that can lead to Cerebral Palsy. Preterm birth also significantly increases the risk of birth complications, which can sometimes result in birth injuries.
The Eye-Opening Data Point:
According to a March of Dimes report, the city of Columbus, Ohio, has received an “F” grade for its preterm birth rate, which has been reported as high as 12.0%, and this rate has actually been worsening recently. (Source: March of Dimes PeriStats, 2025 Report Card for Ohio).
Think about that: 12 out of every 100 babies are born too early in our city. While not every one of these cases involves medical error, this high rate tells us that the overall system is under major stress. When a doctor or nursing team is managing a preterm delivery, the smallest error—a delay in ordering a C-section, a mistake with monitoring, or improper management of the mother’s health—can cause devastating brain damage. Common causes of birth injuries include failure to monitor fetal distress, improper use of labor-inducing drugs, and delayed C-sections.
When we dig deeper into the data, a terrible truth appears, one that affects the lives and health of thousands of families in Central Ohio. This is one of those stats that should make everyone in the medical community stop and ask hard questions.
Fact: In Columbus, the infant mortality rate (babies who die before their first birthday) for Black infants is 2.5 times higher than for white infants. (Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio).
What does this have to do with medical malpractice? Everything.
Racial disparities in healthcare often mean that warning signs are missed, concerns are dismissed, or crucial time is lost due to systemic negligence. If a family is already facing barriers to accessing the best prenatal care, a mistake during the crucial minutes of labor is even more likely to be catastrophic. Our Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm can see how this disparity plays out in the medical records and legal cases we handle across teh country. A medical provider’s failure to recognize fetal distress quickly, or a failure to properly diagnose a pre-existing condition, becomes a case of malpractice when that failure leads to a preventable injury, and the data shows that certain communities in Columbus are tragically impacted at a higher rate.
A birth injury is an injury that happens during labor or delivery. Medical malpractice is what happens when that injury could have been prevented if the doctors and nurses had followed the basic standard of care—the rules and procedures that every competent medical professional must follow.
Think of it like driving. If you hit a pothole, that’s an accident. If you look down at your phone and run a red light, causing a crash, that’s negligence. In the hospital, the standard of care is the “rulebook” that keeps patients safe. When a doctor deviates from that rulebook, and your child is harmed, medical errors and a healthcare provider’s negligence can result in a serious birth injury. That’s when it becomes a case of malpractice.
The Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm has decades of experience looking at these situations, and we know exactly what we are looking for in the medical records. Proving a medical professional’s negligence is key to establishing a birth injury claim, especially in cases of serious injury.
When a child is born with a health condition, it’s natural for parents to wonder what went wrong—and whether it could have been prevented. Understanding the difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is crucial for Columbus families considering their next steps.
A birth defect is a medical condition that develops while the baby is still in the womb, often due to genetic factors or environmental exposures during pregnancy. These conditions, such as heart defects or cleft palate, are typically not caused by the actions of medical professionals during labor or delivery.
A birth injury, on the other hand, refers to harm that occurs before, during, or immediately after birth—often as a result of medical negligence. This could include injuries like cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries, or brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen. In many cases, these injuries are preventable and may be grounds for a birth injury claim.
Birth injury attorneys are experienced in helping families in Columbus distinguish between birth defects and birth injuries. Our legal team will carefully review medical records and consult with medical experts to determine whether your child’s condition was caused by a medical provider’s negligence. If a birth injury is identified, you may be entitled to seek compensation for medical expenses, ongoing care, pain and suffering, and other related costs.
If you’re unsure whether your child’s condition is a birth defect or a birth injury, don’t hesitate to reach out for guidance. Our legal team can help you understand your rights, review your case, and ensure your family receives the support and answers you deserve.
Birth injuries are rarely small problems. They often involve complex neurological damage that requires a lifetime of medical care, physical therapy, and special equipment. Many children with birth injuries will need lifelong care and ongoing medical treatment, including therapies, medical procedures, and medications to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. When we discuss a case with a Columbus family, we are not just looking at past medical bills; we are trying to calculate the cost of a full lifetime of care.
Compensation for birth injuries can include not only medical costs for ongoing medical treatment, but also lost wages if a parent needs to take time off work to care for their child.
When a baby doesn’t get enough oxygen during labor—which doctors call hypoxia or asphyxia—the brain cells start to die. This can happen if the umbilical cord is compressed, if the placenta separates too early, or if the medical team waits too long to deliver the baby. The lasting damage is often Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disorder resulting from birth complications.
CP is a disorder that affects muscle movement and posture. It is considered one of the most severe injuries associated with birth trauma and can result in permanent injury or disability. The severity varies widely, but it can mean a child needs a wheelchair, feeding tubes, constant nursing care, and specialized schools. The best experts estimate that the lifetime costs for a child with severe CP can easily run into the millions of dollars. A settlement or verdict secured by our Team of Lawyers is often the only way a family can ever afford that level of care.
Sometimes, a baby’s shoulders get stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone during delivery. This is called shoulder dystocia. It’s an emergency, but one that must be handled with extreme care. If the doctor or nurse pulls too hard on the baby’s head or neck to get them out, the delicate bundle of nerves that controls the arm, called the brachial plexus, can be stretched or torn. This nerve damage can lead to long-term or permanent disability. This injury is known as Erb’s Palsy.
This injury affects the movement of the arm, sometimes leaving it partially or fully paralyzed. A child with Erb’s Palsy may need years of physical therapy and sometimes complex surgeries to regain any function. Our experienced Team of Lawyers has worked on countless cases where the medical records clearly show excessive force was used, proving that the injury was not an unavoidable accident, but a preventable tragedy.
One of the reasons families seek out our Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm is because the financial burden of these injuries is simply too much for any family to bear alone. When we talk about medical malpractice cases in Ohio, we aren’t just talking about a couple of doctor’s visits. We’re talking about massive, lifelong costs. The high medical costs associated with birth injuries can be overwhelming, as families must manage ongoing expenses for treatment, therapy, and specialized care.
The Financial Reality of Birth Injury Cases. This is a statistic that few people realize: birth injury claims often result in the highest payouts in medical malpractice law because the cost of lifetime care is so immense.
According to data analyzed from the Ohio Department of Insurance Medical Professional Liability Reports, birth injury claims consistently represent some of the highest indemnity payments in the state. These substantial settlements reflect the sheer magnitude of the damages involved—paying for decades of nursing, therapy, and specialized equipment that a child with a birth injury will require.
This high number reflects the profound, permanent nature of the damage. When a child has a severe brain injury, compensation must cover:
Compensation for birth injuries can also include punitive damages in cases of extreme negligence, providing additional accountability for those responsible.
The money is not a lottery win; it is the financial framework that allows a child to live the best possible life they can, given their injury. Most birth injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, so families only pay legal fees if compensation is secured.
As parents in Columbus, you want to know you are receiving care from the best doctors and the best hospitals near me. We know several major hospitals in Columbus are trusted places to deliver babies, and many are designated Level III Maternity Centers—meaning they have high-level capabilities to handle the most complex and preterm births. These include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
But even at highly-rated institutions, medical malpractice can happen. A high rating is about the hospital’s overall structure, but a birth injury is often about the individual choices made by a handful of people in a single delivery room in a matter of minutes.
Our Team of Lawyers strongly encourages every parent to be an active participant in their care. Ask questions, and if you feel like your concerns are being ignored, speak up. The best defense against a birth injury is being informed.
If your child suffered a severe injury, like Cerebral Palsy, you need answers. You need to know if it was an accident or a mistake. This is where the experienced Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm steps in. An injury lawyer or birth injury attorney provides legal guidance and representation for families facing complex birth trauma cases, helping you understand your rights and options.
We don’t simply file a lawsuit. We start with a comprehensive, no-cost investigation.
Your family deserves justice and the support needed to move forward after a child’s injury. Our lawyers have established relationships with trusted medical professionals for expert testimony, ensuring your birth injury case is supported by the strongest evidence possible.
Successfully pursuing a birth injury case in Ohio requires more than just showing that a child was harmed during birth. Birth injury lawyers must prove that a medical professional’s negligence directly caused the injury and resulted in significant damages.
The legal process begins with a thorough review of medical records to identify any deviations from the accepted standard of care. Our experienced birth injury attorneys work closely with medical experts to analyze every detail of the labor and delivery, looking for evidence that a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional in Columbus failed to act as a reasonably competent provider would have under similar circumstances.
Ohio has strict rules about when you can file a lawsuit. While the law allows extra time for children, there are dangerous traps that can destroy a case if you wait too long.
Don’t Wait on “Tolling” Even though the law gives your child until age 19, waiting is a strategic mistake. Evidence disappears, memories fade, and electronic fetal monitoring strips are archived or lost. Contacting our Team of Lawyers immediately ensures that vital evidence is preserved while it still exists.
Key Takeaways for Columbus Families
We know this information is heavy, but our goal is always to equip you with the knowledge you need to protect your family’s future. When a birth injury is the result of negligence, our experienced Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm is prepared to help you fight for justice.
Consulting with our skilled birth injury attorneys is crucial for navigating the legal process and ensuring that all necessary evidence is gathered.
In Central Ohio, a few major health systems handle the vast majority of all deliveries. The sheer volume of births these hospitals handle means they are experienced, but it also means they manage a high number of complex, high-risk cases where errors can occur.
| Hospital Name | Location & Key Service Level | Link to Hospital Services |
|---|---|---|
| OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital | North Columbus. Level III Maternity Center. Delivers the most babies in Central Ohio | View Riverside Maternity Care |
| The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center | Central Columbus. Central Ohio’s only Level IV Maternity Center (Highest level for complex maternal/fetal care). | View OSU Wexner Maternity Care |
| Mount Carmel Health System (East/St. Ann's) | East & Northeast Columbus. Level III NICUs at both sites. Delivers nearly 9,000 babies per year across the system. | View Mount Carmel Maternity Care |
| OhioHealth Grant Medical Center | Downtown Columbus. Level III Maternity Center, operated in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital. | View Grant Medical Center Maternity Care |
If your delivery occurred at one of these large facilities and resulted in a birth injury, our Team of Lawyers has decades of experience dealing with specific protocols, electronic medical record systems, and defense strategies.
The immediate fallout of a birth injury goes far beyond medical needs; it affects the mental health, financial stability, and emotional well-being of the entire family. Our job is to fight the legal battle, but the best resource for daily life is local support. We have compiled a list of valuable resources near me in the Columbus area to help you cope and find stability.
| Resource Name | Type of Help Offered | Link to Resource (External) |
|---|---|---|
| Help Me Grow (Ohio) | State-funded parent support program offering home visits and early intervention services for children (birth to age 3) with developmental delays/disabilities. | Ohio Department of Health: Help Me Grow |
| Moms2B (OSU Wexner Medical Center Program) | A community program specifically fighting infant mortality and preterm birth in Central Ohio by providing health education and support for mothers. | OSU Moms2B Program |
| POEM (Perinatal Outreach & Encouragement for Moms) | Provides direct peer support, counseling referrals, and advocacy for mothers experiencing pregnancy/postpartum depression. | POEM (via MHA Ohio) |
| Postpartum Support International (PSI) | National organization with local chapters offering online and text support (HelpLine) and connecting families with local coordinators for perinatal mental health issues. | Postpartum Support International |
| Alive in My Heart | Supports families impacted by pregnancy and infant loss by connecting them to community resources and grief counseling services in Central Ohio. | Alive in My Heart Grief Support |
Seeking support is a sign of strength. These resources can provide the emotional and developmental support your family needs while our experienced Team of Lawyers focuses on securing the long-term financial stability your child deserves.
Here are some of the most common questions our experienced Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm receives from parents. Families can contact our birth injury attorneys for a free consultation to discuss their case, ask questions, and understand their legal options.
Yes, absolutely. A high rating from a national group often reflects a hospital’s overall resources or patient satisfaction, not its individual performance during every minute of every delivery. Medical malpractice is also about the actions of the individual doctor, nurse, or team in the room when your child was born. Even the most highly-regarded hospitals in Columbus, like those with Level III Maternity Centers, can have staff members who make critical, preventable errors. Our job is to investigate that one instance of negligence, regardless of the hospital’s general reputation.
These cases are complex because they deal with lifelong injuries and involve substantial amounts of money. While every case is different, it is realistic to expect a birth injury lawsuit to take several years, especially when the injuries are severe. Most cases settle outside of court after extensive investigation and negotiation, but the timeline is long because we have to fully understand the child’s long-term prognosis, which can take time, before we can calculate the full value of the damages.
In Ohio, medical professionals and hospitals carry professional liability insurance (often called malpractice insurance) for exactly this reason. When a settlement or verdict is reached, the payment almost always comes from the insurance company, not directly from the doctor’s personal bank account. The large settlements and verdicts you hear about, like the multi-million dollar figures seen in Ohio birth injury cases, are managed by these insurance companies.
Our Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm works on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay any legal fees upfront, and you do not pay us during the investigation or trial. We only get paid if we successfully recover money for your family through a settlement or a verdict. We cover all the costs of the investigation—hiring the best medical experts, filing fees, and court costs—and those costs are only reimbursed to us if we win your case. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing for our time or the expenses.
Some children with very minor Erb’s Palsy (a type of brachial plexus injury) do recover full or nearly full use of their arm, often with the help of extensive physical therapy. However, many severe cases involve nerve tears that require surgical repair. If the child’s arm function is not improving within the first few months, the injury is likely permanent and will require specialized care for life. If a medical mistake caused the injury, our team is ready to investigate whether this injury was preventable and ensure your child receives compensation for that lifelong need.
The Team of Lawyers at The Child and Birth Injury Firm has worked with families for decades, ensuring children harmed by medical negligence have the resources to live their best lives.
When your child suffers a birth injury, the days and weeks that follow can feel overwhelming and uncertain. As Cincinnati parents, you want answers, support, and a clear path forward. The reality is that a Cincinnati birth injury caused by medical negligence can change your family’s life forever—but you don’t have to face this journey alone.
The first and most important step is to ensure your child receives the best possible medical care. Schedule follow-up appointments, consult with medical specialists, and keep detailed records of every diagnosis, treatment, and therapy session. These medical records are crucial not only for your child’s ongoing care but also for any future birth injury lawsuit or medical malpractice claims you may pursue.
Next, reach out to our experienced birth injury attorneys who understand the complexities of birth injury cases. Our law firm, with a proven track record in medical malpractice and birth injury lawsuits, will have access to leading medical experts, registered nurses, and life care planners who can thoroughly review your case. They will investigate whether your child’s injury—such as cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injury, or facial nerve injuries—was the result of medical negligence, and help you determine the best course of action.
As you move forward, our legal team will work to seek compensation for all medical expenses, ongoing therapy, adaptive equipment, and the pain and suffering your family has endured. They will calculate the maximum compensation you are entitled to, negotiate with insurance companies, and, if necessary, take your case to court to secure fair compensation for your child’s future needs.
Not all birth injuries are caused by medical malpractice, but if you suspect your child’s injury was preventable, it’s critical to seek justice. Look for a law firm that offers a free consultation and works on a contingency-fee basis, like ours—meaning you pay nothing unless they recover compensation for you. Our injury lawyers will guide you through every step of the legal process, answer your questions, and provide the support you need during this challenging time.
Remember, your focus should remain on your child’s health and well-being. By taking these steps and working with our knowledgeable birth injury lawyers, you can hold negligent healthcare providers accountable and secure the resources your child needs to thrive.
You deserve answers, support, and the opportunity to seek justice for your child’s injury.
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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