If your child was injured during the birth process by the negligence of a health care provider — a doctor, nurse, midwife, clinic, or hospital — the law allows you to seek compensation for such injuries to recover the cost of rehabilitation, special equipment, therapy and attendant care. In the case of a birth injury, the cost of care for a disabled infant can be substantial and may last a lifetime.
California Birth Injury Attorneys Helping Children And Families
At the San Francisco law office of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, we have been helping families and special needs children obtain financial compensation in medical malpractice birth injury cases since 1959. We believe that every child deserves the help and resources available to reach his or her full potential.
We have a proven track record of securing the financial compensation families need to pay for medical care, rehabilitative services, and educational services, including through arbitrated settlements in cases involving people insured through Kaiser Permanente. This money makes a tremendous difference in the lives of children and families affected by CP.
If you suspect that medical negligence may have played a role in causing your child’s cerebral palsy, contact an experienced birth injury attorney at our San Francisco law office.
Paying Expenses Across A Lifetime
In the most serious obstetrical mishaps, the infant may suffer a catastrophic brain injury, and he or she may not be able to become independent in any meaningful way. This means that your lawyers must be prepared to seek a financial settlement or judgment that anticipates and encompasses an evaluation of the lifetime costs. At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, we work with pediatric rehabilitation specialists and life care planners to identify and plan for a child’s needs now and into the future.
When structuring a financial settlement for a child with birth related disability, brain damage, neurologic injury, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or cerebral palsy, it is essential to take into account:
- The cost of immediate and future medical and therapy needs
- The cost of adaptive equipment (wheelchairs, vans, etc.)
- Special educational services
- Physical and occupational therapy services
- The anticipated extent and cost of R.N., LVN or other attendant care if the child cannot live independently
Once compensation for birth injury is negotiated or adjudicated by a court, we work with benefit planning and asset preservation attorneys to create lifetime special needs trusts or other vehicles in order to provide a steady income stream on a monthly or yearly basis.
Helping Children And Their Families Since 1959
Call our San Francisco law office at (415) 981-7210 for a free initial consultation with an experienced birth injury lawyer or contact us by email. We represent clients throughout Northern California, Southern California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and the western United States.
To learn more about cerebral palsy, the latest research, and treatment, visit the Web site of United Cerebral Palsy, which has chapters throughout California and the United States. The mission of United Cerebral Palsy is to advance the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with disabilities.
