Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit

Can You Sue for Cerebral Palsy in 2025?

When a medical professional makes a mistake before or after delivery that results in a birth injury, the child and their family are often left to face lasting consequences.

If your child has cerebral palsy (CP) due to medical malpractice or negligence, you may be able to sue those responsible and seek compensation for their care.

By filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit, many families have been able to:

• Get justice for the injury their child suffered as a result of improper care
• Hold the doctor, medical professionals, or hospital responsible
• Prevent others from experiencing the same pain they went through
• Secure an average cerebral palsy settlement of $1 Million for their child

At Sokolove Law, we’ve helped thousands of families across the country take legal action for birth injuries like cerebral palsy, allowing them to access the resources they need.

We can handle every step of filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit for you, so you can focus on caring for your child. There are no upfront costs or hourly fees to work with us.

Let Sokolove Law Fight for You

Since 1979, Sokolove Law has secured over $1 Billion for families affected by birth injuries.

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Lawsuits for Cerebral Palsy & Medical Malpractice

The parents or guardians of a child with CP may be able to sue the doctors or hospitals responsible if medical malpractice played a role in the child’s injury.

Many cerebral palsy cases can be linked to medical errors or mistakes made by a doctor or health care professional.

If a doctor, obstetrician, or health care professional:

• Doesn’t set up the delivery room or equipment in time, the child may receive delayed care and suffer oxygen deprivation that can cause CP
• Fails to notice or treat jaundice, bilirubin can build up in the baby’s blood and cause a type of brain damage known as kernicterus, which may lead to CP
• Ignores signs of fetal distress, the baby may develop hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a condition caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain
• Misses or delays treating neonatal meningitis, the infection can damage the brain and result in CP
• Neglects to order a C-section during a difficult delivery, the child may become lodged in the birth canal and suffer restricted blood flow and oxygen to the brain
• Uses assisted delivery devices like forceps or vacuum extractors, the child may suffer various injuries, including brain bleeding and skull fractures

Between 85% and 90% of CP cases are congenital, which means brain damage occurred before or during birth — and in some cases, this damage may have been caused by medical negligence.

Our firm has registered nurses on staff who can listen to your story and determine if medical malpractice may have played a role in causing your child to develop CP — for free.

“What I've learned from working in the hospital is what is supposed to happen or what we would expect to happen during a normal delivery. And it helps me be able to differentiate the red flags or the situations that could potentially cause an injury to a child.”
– Kristin Proctor, Registered Nurse with Sokolove Law

Our Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Settlements & Verdicts

As of July 2025, we’ve secured more than $1 Billion from cerebral palsy lawsuits and other birth injury claims.

This money has helped many families afford medical care, therapies, adaptive equipment, and more for their children.

Some of our past cerebral palsy lawsuit settlements and verdicts include:

• $10.9 Million to a Wisconsin girl with HIE and cerebral palsy from negligence before and after delivery
• $10.5 Million for a Missouri woman whose daughter has CP
• Over $10.4 Million to a Pennsylvania family
• $10.1 Million for a Texas boy with cerebral palsy, HIE, and seizures
• $9 Million to the family of a 5-year-old in Colorado
• $8 Million on behalf of a family in New York
• $5.9 Million for a Texas child who developed CP due to delayed medical care
• $7.8 Million to a family in Florida
• $6 Million for a child in New York with CP from untreated jaundice
• $2.85 Million for a Georgia family impacted by CP
• $4.1 Million to a New Jersey child who suffered fetal distress and umbilical cord strangulation
• $3.25 Million for a child in Tennessee
• $6.5 Million to a Washington child deprived of oxygen due to a delayed delivery
• $4 Million on behalf of a family in Michigan
• $6 Million to a child in California
• $8.8 Million for an Ohio family whose child experienced severe fetal distress

While there’s never a guarantee of compensation in any case, we’ll fight hard to get you the money you deserve.

Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Statute of Limitations

Each state has a unique set of laws called statutes of limitations that restrict how long you have to take legal action in CP malpractice cases.

The cerebral palsy lawsuit statute of limitations typically ranges from 1 to 3 years, depending on your state. Once this deadline passes, you won’t be able to file a claim again.

Don’t miss your chance for justice. Get a free case review now to determine if you may be able to file a cerebral palsy birth injury lawsuit before it’s too late.

Play Video

Video Summary: Cerebral palsy is often caused by medical malpractice during delivery. We may be able to help you seek compensation for your child's injury. View Transcript.

Most of your cerebral palsy cases are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain of the newborn child. This is a case type I'm very familiar with. I have a nephew with cerebral palsy that somewhere during the pregnancy there is an impediment of airflow. The longer the unborn child goes without oxygen, the more likelihood the cerebral palsy will occur. Which is basically part of the brain dying without oxygen going to it. As a childbirth injury lawyer, we're here to help families who believe at birth, something occurred that shouldn't have that has left their child with an injury. It could also be at any time during the pregnancy that there's been a deviation from the standard of medical care that's acceptable. We work with families to determine what happened. We work closely with our experts who will form opinions on that and then we present that evidence to whoever the defendants are in the case, which could be any doctor that provided care. Once we've determined who all those folks are and we've determined, you know, which defendants we want to bring a case against, we will then present the evidence. If you believe your child suffered from a birth injury, don't lose out on the opportunity to bring a claim. Contact Sokolove Law today at 800-647-3434.

Steps in Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Cases

At Sokolove Law, our cerebral palsy lawyers strive to make filing a lawsuit as easy and stress-free as possible.

With decades of experience handling cerebral palsy negligence claims, we can navigate every step of the legal process on your behalf. Find out more about filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit.

1. Get a Free Case Review

Our firm offers all families a free case review to see if they may be eligible to seek compensation from a cerebral palsy lawsuit.

During this initial discussion, a member of our team will ask you a few questions about your child’s condition and the circumstances surrounding their birth to determine if malpractice may have occurred.

2. We’ll Gather Evidence of Malpractice

If you have a case, we’ll begin gathering evidence of malpractice to build a strong cerebral palsy lawsuit on your behalf.

To establish medical malpractice, our team may look at:

• Your child’s medical records, diagnostic tests, and signs of developmental delays
• The mother’s prenatal care and delivery timeline
• Whether or not the child was breathing on their own when delivered
• Surgeries and therapies that the child has undergone so far
• Testimony from witnesses

Even if you’re not entirely sure about all of the details surrounding your child’s birth, we can still investigate and gather additional evidence to show what may have happened.

"My daughter has cerebral palsy. A medical mistake changed her life. I loved my doctor and was hesitant to call a law firm, but I am so glad I did. Sokolove Law helped me understand what happened to my daughter, and now she is taken care of."
– Colorado Birth Injury Client

3. We’ll File a Lawsuit for Cerebral Palsy

Filing a lawsuit for cerebral palsy usually includes both a medical and legal team. Our on-staff nurses will learn about your experience, retrieve medical records, and answer your questions while our attorneys prepare your cerebral palsy claim.

We’ll make sure your lawsuit is filed in the correct court and before the statute of limitations expires. Then, we’ll begin negotiations with those responsible for your child’s condition.

4. Your Family Gets Compensation

Our attorneys will do everything we can to secure the most compensation possible from your cerebral palsy lawsuit.

Compensation may be awarded in one of two ways:

• Cerebral palsy lawsuit settlements: In a CP settlement, your lawyers negotiate a financial payout with the defendant (doctor or hospital), often before the case goes to court. This may allow you to receive compensation sooner. The majority of lawsuits for cerebral palsy end in settlements.
• Cerebral palsy court verdicts: In the rare event that your case doesn’t settle, our cerebral palsy lawyers may try your case in court before a judge and jury, who ultimately decide the outcome of the case in a verdict.

The amount you may receive from a cerebral palsy lawsuit depends on many factors, including the severity of your child’s injury, related medical expenses, and the extent of malpractice that took place.

Who Can File a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit?

If medical malpractice contributed to a child’s injury, their parents or guardians may be able to file a cerebral palsy lawsuit against those responsible.

This may include the child’s: 

• Mother
• Father
• Legal guardian
• Estate representative

Even if your child hasn’t received an official cerebral palsy diagnosis yet, we may still be able to help. Our team is standing by to help you understand your rights and figure out your next steps.

“I was sent home from the hospital multiple times after my water broke. Then, during birth, there were issues with oxygen reaching my baby's brain. We haven’t been able to get a diagnosis of CP yet, as they have to wait until our baby is a bit older. It’s been incredibly difficult, but Sokolove Law has been super supportive and helpful.”
– New Mexico Birth Injury Client

Why Sue for Cerebral Palsy Negligence?

Treatments for CP can cost over $1 Million during a child’s lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These costs can be devastating to families who couldn’t predict that a medical mistake would change their child’s life.

Filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit has helped many families get the compensation they need to ensure their child gets the best care possible.

By suing for cerebral palsy negligence, you may be able to: 

• Secure financial support: CP lawsuit settlements can help you afford medical bills, therapies, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and more.
• Hold medical providers accountable: By filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit, you can hold negligent doctors and hospitals responsible for the harm they caused.
• Seek justice for your family: Taking legal action is a way to stand up for your child and demand recognition of the pain and challenges they’ve endured.
• Help prevent future injuries: Your case could spotlight dangerous practices or gaps in care, which may lead hospitals to improve training and protocols in order to potentially protect future patients from similar harm.

“During delivery, the use of forceps and a loss of oxygen led to a diagnosis of CP. Our baby spent over a month in the NICU receiving cooling therapy. Sokolove Law helped us secure vital resources and therapies. Their support has been crucial in improving our child’s quality of life.”
– Alabama Birth Injury Client

When health care providers make avoidable mistakes that lead to serious birth injuries, families have the right to seek the compensation they need and deserve.

You have the power to be your child’s voice and demand that those responsible for their injury be held accountable. Let us help you take the first step toward justice.

Play Video

Video Summary: Beth Carter, a registered nurse at Sokolove Law, explains her role at the firm and how she can help families impacted by birth injuries.

Recent Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Updates

Medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, or delivery can have lifelong consequences. Across the country, families are holding negligent health care providers accountable and seeking justice through cerebral palsy lawsuits.

Read the latest cerebral palsy lawsuit news and updates: 

• Family of a child with CP awarded $29 Million: In May 2025, a Minnesota family was awarded $29 Million after filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit against a nurse-midwife. The midwife reportedly failed to contact the on-call OB/GYN in a timely manner after the baby experienced fetal distress.
• Missouri family wins $48.1 Million verdict: In March 2025, a Missouri jury awarded $48.1 Million to the family of a child born with permanent brain damage. The doctor allowed the mother to push for roughly 12 hours instead of performing a C-section. This award is reportedly the largest medical malpractice verdict in Missouri history.
• Wisconsin jury awards family $10 Million: In February 2025, a Wisconsin family was awarded $10 Million after a jury found that medical negligence led to their daughter’s CP diagnosis. The mother had been given a high dose of Pitocin over an extended period to speed up labor. Her baby, who was delivered via C-section, wasn’t breathing at birth.

At Sokolove Law, we’re dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest cerebral palsy lawsuit updates and advocating for the rights of victims nationwide.

Sokolove Law: Filing Cerebral Palsy Lawsuits Nationwide

As an established national cerebral palsy law firm, Sokolove Law can help families in all 50 states take legal action to seek justice and compensation for their child.

Our cerebral palsy attorneys have the resources and experience necessary to stand up to powerful hospitals and level the playing field for our clients.

Over the last 45+ years, we’ve secured more than $1 Billion for families impacted by birth injuries like cerebral palsy.

There are no hourly fees or upfront costs to work with our team. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Call (800) 995-1212 now or fill out our contact form to see if you may be able to pursue compensation from a CP lawsuit.

Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Lawsuit FAQs