St. Louis Birth Injury Attorneys
Compassionate Legal Help When It Matters Most
The birth of your child should be one of the happiest days of your life. However, when a negligent doctor or nurse injures your baby, you should hold them accountable.
Our St. Louis birth injury lawyers understand how overwhelming and complicated a birth malpractice claim can be, which is why we want to offer our help. If your family is affected by a birth injury, we’ll help you seek justice.
Speak to our team for free today. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case.
Call (314) 888-4444 or contact us online today for a free consultation.
Relevant Case Result
You trust the doctor and nurses to safely deliver your baby. If anything went wrong during the delivery because of negligence, you deserve justice. Here is a relevant case result we secured for a couple:
- $1,100,000: We secured this settlement for the wrongful death of a fetus due to medical negligence.
Types of Birth Injuries to Your Child
Our birth injury attorneys in St. Louis handle cases that can cause lifelong challenges, including, but not limited to:
- Cerebral Palsy: This is a condition that affects movement and coordination due to brain damage.
- Erb’s Palsy: This injury causes damage to the shoulder, causing weakness or loss of movement in the arm.
- Shoulder Dystocia: This can happen when a baby’s shoulder gets stuck during delivery.
- Surgical Instrument Injuries: These injuries are caused by tools like forceps or vacuum devices used during childbirth.
- Caput Succedaneum: This is when there is swelling on a baby’s head caused by pressure during birth.
- Cephalohematoma: This is a collection of blood under a baby’s scalp after birth.
- Injuries Caused by Prescription Drugs: This can happen if your baby was injured in the womb because of medications you were prescribed to take.
Our attorneys understand the unique complexities of these birth injury malpractice cases and will fight diligently to protect your child’s future.
Injuries to the Mother
Babies are not the only ones who can suffer an injury during birth. Mothers frequently sustain injuries during childbirth due to medical negligence and malpractice, such as:
- Perineal Tears: These occur when the tissue between the vagina and anus tears during childbirth.
- Episiotomy Complications: These happen when the surgical cut made to enlarge the vaginal opening during delivery leads to issues like infection or improper healing.
- C-section Errors: These refer to mistakes during a C-section, which can result in complications for the mother, such as infections or damage to surrounding organs.
- Uterine Rupture: This is a serious condition where the uterus tears, often during labor, which can endanger both the mother and baby.
- Epidural-Related Complications: These arise from issues with the anesthesia given during labor, potentially causing problems like headaches, nerve damage, or infections.
If you’ve been harmed, our experienced team of St. Louis birth injury attorneys and support staff of investigators, case managers, and medical records specialists will work to hold negligent healthcare providers accountable for harming you and your child.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Birth injury cases often involve a range of liable parties, including:
- Hospitals and Medical Centers: These premises could be held liable if they hired unqualified staff members or didn’t properly train their medical professionals.
- Doctors: Your doctor or specialist could be held liable for the injuries if they acted in a way that failed to meet the standard a trained professional should meet.
- Nurses: The nurses could be responsible if they make mistakes during the procedure that led to the injury.
- Anesthesiologists: If an anesthesiologist administered either too much or too little medication during the birth, they could be responsible for long-term injuries.
- Pharmaceutical Companies: If you were prescribed medication that contributed to you or your baby’s injury, the pharmaceutical company could be held accountable.
The experts at DM Injury Law will guide you through this complex process and ensure you receive the care you and your family need.
Call (314) 888-4444 or contact us online today for a free consultation.
What Compensation Can I Receive From a Birth Injury Claim?
If you’ve experienced complications during childbirth, you deserve justice and support for the challenges you’ve faced. A successful birth injury lawsuit can provide compensation for your burdens, including:
- Medical bills (including future treatment and medication)
- Long-term care (including equipment and medical devices)
- Rehab and physical therapy costs
- Lost income due to not working
- Decreased earning capacity
- Special education expenses
- Home modification costs
- Loss of independence
- Punitive damages (if the actions were intentional)
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety and depression
- Wrongful death
Our St. Louis birth trauma attorneys will leave no stone unturned in helping your family receive the support and means that you need for a happy and healthy future.
What Are the Caps for Birth Injury Claims in Missouri and Illinois?
Yes, Missouri law has caps for non-economic damages in birth injury cases, which are adjusted annually for inflation. Section 538.210.8 of Missouri Senate Bill 239 states a 2025 cap of:
- $473,444 for personal injury claims.
- $828,529 for catastrophic injuries (permanent disability or other long-term injuries.
Illinois has no caps on medical malpractice cases, as it was found unconstitutional to place caps on non-economic damages in the 2010 case of Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
What is a Life Car Plan?
A life care plan is a detailed document created with the help of a medical expert. It helps explain what it will cost to care for your child for the rest of their life. The medical expert carefully reviews your child’s records and focuses on their specific injury to ensure their long-term needs are covered.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Missouri and Illinois?
You may have less time than you think to file a birth injury claim in Missouri and Illinois.
Missouri
Under RSMo Section 516.105, you usually have 2 years to file a claim in Missouri. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:
- Minors: If the injured individual is under 18, they have until their 20th birthday to file a claim.
- Discovery of the Injury: If the harm or condition wasn’t immediately evident, the two-year deadline may be paused. However, you must “discover” the injury within 10 years.
Illinois
- According to 735 ILCS 5, claims in Illinois should be filed within 2 years of identifying the injury or within 2 years of when the harm should have been reasonably discovered.
- Statute of Repose: A lawsuit must be filed within 4 years after the medical error occurred, even if the injury wasn’t discovered right away.
- Minors: Minors have until the age of 8 or 8 years from the date of the accident (whichever gives more time), per 735 ILCS 5/13-212(b).
Count on the best birth injury attorney in STL to lead you through this process and make it as stress-free as possible.
Missouri Birth Injury Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported:
- In 2022, there were 20,553 infant deaths nationwide.
- Missouri’s infant mortality rate was 6.77 deaths per 1,000 live births.
- Around 5 out of every 1,000 hospital deliveries in Missouri result in a major birth injury.
The Leading causes of infant deaths in Missouri include:
- Unintentional injuries
- Birth defects
- Preterm birth
- Low birth weight
- Pregnancy complications
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Additionally, in 2020, Missouri recorded 81 unintentional injuries per 1,000 live births, compared to the national average of 33 unintentional injuries per 1,000 live births.
Speak to our childbirth injury attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, if you and your child were injured during the delivery.
Mike’s Got This! Schedule Your Free Consultation!
Contact DM Injury Law for a St. Louis birth injury law firm that will prioritize your future. We’ll help you seek the justice your family is owed.
Schedule a free consultation with us today. You don’t pay us unless we win your case.
Call (314) 888-4444 or contact us online today for a free consultation.
Past results obtained on behalf of clients afford no guarantee of future results, and every case is different and must be judged based on its own merits.
