Understanding Birth Injury Settlements: What Families Should Know

Imagine preparing for the most beautiful journey of your life, one you’ve dreamed about for months. You’ve planned every detail, trusted the experts, and anticipated nothing but joy. Suddenly, in an instant, something goes wrong. Instead of a smooth and safe arrival, there’s confusion, distress, and life-changing consequences.

This is the reality for many families when a preventable birth injury occurs. What should have been a moment of pure happiness turns into a devastating challenge, leaving parents overwhelmed with medical decisions, financial worries, and the painful question: could this have been avoided?

If your child has suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. But how do your birth injury settlements work? What factors determine how much a family receives? And how can legal action help secure the financial support your child needs for a better future?

This blog breaks down everything you need to know about birth injury settlements and how experienced lawyers can make all the difference.

What is a birth injury settlement?

Birth injury settlements are financial agreements reached between families and healthcare providers or hospitals to compensate for the harm caused by medical negligence during childbirth.

Medical negligence, such as birth injuries, can occur when doctors, nurses, or other medical professionals fail to meet the standard of care, thus leading to devastating consequences. Common conditions that result in settlements include Cerebral Palsy, brain damage, Erb’s Palsy, and Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE).

While the average settlement for birth injury cases varies, they play an important role in helping families secure the resources necessary to improve their child’s quality of life and hold negligent medical professionals accountable for their mistakes.

Financial Relief: How Birth Injury Settlements Help Families

A birth injury settlement is more than just financial compensation; it’s a lifeline for families stuck with complex medical and caregiving costs. Here are some key benefits:

• Covering costs: Birth injury settlements are used to cover the cost of lifelong medical treatments and therapies. Many children with birth injuries require extensive medical care, including surgeries, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, all of which can be financially draining.
• Assistive devices and home modifications: Settlements also help families afford assistive devices, home modifications, and transportation. Wheelchairs, adaptive communication devices, and home renovations such as wheelchair ramps or specialized bathrooms can improve a child’s mobility and independence. In some severe cases, families may also need to purchase accessible vehicles to transport their children safely.
• Future care needs: Beyond medical costs, birth injury settlements provide financial security for the child’s future care needs. This includes covering the cost of in-home caregivers, special education, and any ongoing support required as the child grows into adulthood.
• Emotional distress and loss of quality of life: The emotional toll of raising a child with a preventable birth injury is immense, and settlements acknowledge the suffering and challenges that parents and children endure.

Factors That Influence Settlement Amounts

The amount awarded in birth injury lawsuit settlements varies based on several key factors.

One of the most critical considerations is the severity of the injury and its long-term impact on the child’s life. Severe conditions like Cerebral Palsy or brain damage usually require lifelong medical care, leading to higher settlements.

The costs of medical care, therapy, specialized equipment, and home modifications also play an essential role. Families may need to cover expenses for physical therapy, assistive devices, mobility aids, and modifications such as accessible bathrooms or wheelchair ramps to accommodate their child’s needs.

Additionally, birth injury settlements factor in the loss of future income and caregiving costs. If the child is unable to work in adulthood due to their injuries, compensation may include lost earnings and the cost of ongoing care.

The strength of evidence and expert testimonies can greatly influence birth injury lawsuit settlements. For example, strong medical records, expert witnesses, and clear proof of negligence can result in higher compensation.

Finally, whether the case is settled out of court or goes to trial affects the outcome. While an out-of-court settlement may provide quicker compensation, a trial could lead to a higher average settlement for birth injury cases if negligence is strongly proven.

The Legal Process for Pursuing Birth Injury Settlements

Families seeking compensation for preventable birth injuries must understand the legal process required to set realistic expectations and ensure the best possible outcome.

• Contact a birth injury lawyer: The first step is to contact an experienced birth injury lawyer. These experts will assess the case, review records, and determine whether negligence played a role in the injury.
• Investigating the case: Once a lawyer takes on the case, a thorough investigation begins. This includes obtaining and analyzing medical records, expert reviews, and testimonies from specialists in obstetrics, neonatology, and neurology. The strength of the evidence can significantly impact the average settlement for birth injury cases.
• Filing a lawsuit and negotiations: If negligence is confirmed, the lawyer files a birth injury lawsuit against the responsible healthcare provider or hospital. At this stage, both parties engage in negotiations to reach a fair settlement.
• Settlement negotiations vs. the trial process: Many birth injury lawsuit settlements are reached through negotiations, thus allowing families to receive compensation without the stress of a trial. However, if a fair offer isn’t made, the case may proceed to court, where a judge or jury determines the final compensation amount.

Timeline and Expectations

Birth injury cases can take months or even years to resolve, depending on the depth of the evidence and whether the case goes to trial. While settlements offer faster relief, trials may result in higher compensation.

Why should I hire a Sommers Roth & Elmaleh birth injury lawyer?

When a birth injury occurs due to medical negligence, families are left facing emotional distress, financial burdens, and an uncertain future. In these moments, having the right legal team can make all the difference.

For over 40 years, Sommers Roth & Elmaleh has built a reputation as one of Canada’s most respected birth injury law firms by winning landmark cases and securing multi-million dollar settlements to provide the care and support children with birth injuries need.

Some of our most reputable cases include a $14.9 million jury verdict upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada and $11 million awarded to a man with Cerebral Palsy caused by a birth-related brain injury.

Our birth injury lawsuit settlement cases are won through collaboration with top medical specialists, including experts in obstetrics, perinatology, pediatric neurology, neonatology, neuroradiology, and genetics, to build strong cases. We invest financial resources into each lawsuit to ensure our clients have the best chance of success.

Are you ready to fight for justice and the compensation your child deserves? Call us today at 1-844-940-2386 or contact us online to get personalized legal support through every stage of your claim.