If a birth injury has impacted your family

You need dedicated and knowledgeable legal representation.
At Dr. Brad Bradshaw’s Law Firm, our specialized birth injury attorneys have extensive experience handling complex cases involving labor and delivery medical malpractice, including cerebral palsy birth injuries and fetal distress.

Addressing unique types of medical negligence related to cerebral palsy and birth trauma requires an experienced and highly skilled attorney. Medical malpractice cases can be sensitive, and you deserve a lawyer who understands both the legal repercussions and the personal impact of life-altering conditions that result from medical malpractice. Having a seasoned attorney can give your case an advantage, and you can rest easy knowing you are in capable hands.

Dr. Brad Bradshaw is trained as both a surgeon and an attorney, setting him apart from the rest in the legal industry. During his time at Harvard Medical School, he specialized in obstetrics, making him uniquely qualified to advise our birth trauma medical malpractice legal teams. Throughout his career, Dr. Brad Bradshaw and his team have obtained tens of millions in settlements and a jury verdict as high as $34 million in a birth injury case. Maximize your net financial recovery and be confident with the most experienced legal team in your corner.

There are 4 types of birth trauma

1. HIE, CP (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and cerebral palsy)

Birth trauma from medical negligence may result in low oxygen for a prolonged period. HIE can be a sudden, severe deprivation of oxygen or a slow, prolonged lack of oxygen. These two types of oxygen deprivation can cause an injury called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) that eventually leads to cerebral palsy (CP). Dr. Bradshaw has special training in reviewing records to look for these types of injuries. A lawyer with expertise in this area can significantly increase the likelihood of financial recovery for a child.

2. Forceps Trauma

Forceps aid in the delivery of a baby. But forceps should only be used in certain situations, and only so many “pulls” are allowed before moving to an emergency c-section. Pulling “too many times,” when the baby is “too high,” or when the baby’s head is in the wrong position, can result in catastrophic injury and even death.​

3. VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section)

Vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC) is almost a universally condemned procedure. Yet, some physicians still offer them. VBACs are at an increased risk of uterine rupture during delivery, and if a rupture occurs, the risk of death for mom, baby, or both are exceedingly high. From his training at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Bradshaw has unique insights into this procedure and its risks.

4. Brachial Plexus Injury (Erb’s Palsy)

An injury to the brachial plexus occurs when too much traction is exerted on a baby’s neck during delivery. Often, whether a shoulder dystocia (also called a brachial plexus injury and Duchene’s contraction injury) is won or lost may be based upon one or two factors. One factor is whether a nerve was completely avulsed; if so, those cases are typically much stronger.
And the second is the size of the baby at birth. Larger babies are more likely to sustain such an injury, so doctors should have scheduled a C-section. These are often complex cases to win, but Dr. Bradshaw has been successful in these cases, especially using the results of MRI studies that show an avulsion (complete tearing) of a nerve root. Shoulder dystocia is another type of birth trauma. These cases are much more difficult to resolve favorably.

Timing

Because of the strict time limits, it is crucial to seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity. Additionally, keep all photographs or videos from the time of the delivery. If you have a copy of any ultrasound examinations, keep those as well.

Unfortunately, the hospitals control the records, the key documents in these cases, so it is essential to have a lawyer get the records and get an expert review. Thanks to Dr. Bradshaw’s training with Harvard Medical School in Obstetrics, he can often provide an initial review free of charge.

Keep all of your medical appointments. Juries and insurance companies believe that injured people keep their follow-up appointments. Additionally, in some states, the court can reduce your money recovery for failure to “mitigate” your damages. One way the insurance companies argue a person failed to mitigate their damages is failing to keep follow-up appointments.

Dr. Brad Bradshaw’s Law Firm seeks to determine if a medical error was the cause of the injuries. If so, we will look for answers to questions such as:

1. What went wrong?
2. Who was at fault?
3. Who will pay for medical bills?
4. Who will take care of your child in the future?

When we take a case, we intend to answer these questions for you.

• Medical and Legal Integration: Led by Dr. Brad Bradshaw, a physician, surgeon, and attorney, our firm uniquely integrates medical knowledge with legal expertise, enhancing our ability to handle complex birth injury malpractice cases effectively. Birth-trauma/cerebral palsy cases result from a medical condition called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE. Umbilical cord compression, premature separation of the placenta, cord prolapse, and nuchal cord are just a few of the causes of HIE. Almost all these causes can be “seen developing” on the fetal heart tracing. With training from Harvard Medical School, birth injury lawyer, Dr. Brad Bradshaw has written a textbook available to lawyers and doctors throughout the country on how to “read” these fetal heart tracings and prove (or for physicians, to avoid) an HIE case.

• Statewide Representation: Whether you are in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, or any other part of Missouri, our birth injury attorneys are ready to assist you. We understand the nuances of Missouri’s legal landscape, which allows us to serve you better.

• Record of Success: Our firm boasts significant settlements and verdicts that reflect our commitment to securing substantial outcomes for our clients. Our success in high-stakes cases, such as those involving cerebral palsy and other severe birth injuries, demonstrates our capability and dedication. Our medical legal teams have settled birth trauma cases up to $12 million, and even a verdict for more than $34 million.

Let us help you take the first step towards healing and financial security. Reach out today to learn more about how our skilled birth trauma lawyers can advocate for your family’s rights and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve for the challenges ahead.