Was your child injured during pregnancy, labor, or delivery in Seattle, Washington? Was the injury caused by a medical mistake?
You could be entitled to compensation for your child’s medical expenses and long-term needs. The Seattle medical malpractice lawyers at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer can help you get justice.
We have more than three decades of experience holding negligent medical providers accountable for birth injuries. Our firm has recovered billions of dollars for injured clients across Washington State.
We understand the emotional and financial toll birth injuries can take on families. We are prepared to use our experience and resources to help you get justice. Call now for a free consultation.
Meet Our Birth Injury Lawyer in Seattle
When a birth injury occurs due to medical negligence, the consequences can be devastating and life-altering for both the child and the entire family.
Darrell Cochran has spent over three decades fighting for families who have suffered at the hands of negligent medical providers, earning millions in settlements and verdicts for his clients throughout Washington.
He understands the immense physical, emotional, and financial toll a birth injury can take and he combines fierce legal advocacy with genuine compassion to ensure every family he represents is heard, supported, and fiercely defended.
If your child was harmed during labor or delivery, Darrell and his team are ready to stand by your side and fight for the justice and compensation your family deserves. Schedule a free consultation today.
Awards & Accolades
Recognized for excellence in legal representation
Super Lawyers 2024
The Best Lawyers in America
2024 Best Lawyers
2022 Trailblazers Plaintiff’s Attorneys
The American Lawyer
2020 National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts
Why Choose Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Seattle Birth Injury Case?
Birth injury cases are emotional. Instead of welcoming a new baby into the world with excitement, families are immediately focused on their child’s health and medical prognosis, not to mention unexpected medical costs.
If a negligent medical provider injured you or your child during the birth process, your family deserves answers and fair financial compensation. A Seattle birth injury lawyer can help you get it.
Families in Seattle trust Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer because:
- Our firm has over 30 years handling complex med mal and birth injury cases
- We have recovered billions of dollars for injured clients and their families
- We have earned recognition from Super Lawyers, the Best Lawyers in America, and other leading legal organizations
- We provide personalized representation and prioritize client communication.
- We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation.
We understand the distress your family is experiencing. Our Seattle personal injury lawyers are here to help you get justice. Call today to schedule a free case review.
Why You Should Hire a Seattle Birth Injury Attorney
Not every birth complication is the result of malpractice. However, when healthcare providers fail to follow accepted medical standards during the labor and delivery process, it is mothers and babies that pay the price.
An experienced Seattle birth injury attorney can help determine whether medical negligence played a role in your child’s injury. Your attorney will handle essential aspects of your case, including:
- Conducting a detailed investigation into the circumstances of your child’s birth
- Reviewing medical records, fetal monitoring strips, and hospital documentation
- Consulting qualified medical experts to evaluate whether proper care was provided
- Identifying all liable healthcare providers and institutions
- Calculating the full extent of your child’s medical and future care needs
- Negotiating with insurance companies and healthcare providers
- Taking your case to trial, if necessary, to pursue full compensation
Birth injury cases often require extensive investigation and resources to be successful. Having an experienced attorney ensures that you have an advocate that can go toe to toe with powerful medical facilities and their insurers.
Who Could Be Liable for My Child’s Birth Injury in Seattle?
Rarely, is there only one point of failure that causes a birth injury. That’s why birth injury claims regularly involve multiple healthcare providers and medical institutions.
Birth injury claims have four main elements; you must prove:
- A duty of care based on a provider-patient relationship
- The healthcare provider failed to meet accepted medical standards
- This failure directly caused your child’s injury
- Your child and family suffered damages as a result
You can seek compensation from any provider who failed to meet the accepted medical standard of care during pre-natal care, labor, or delivery. Potentially liable parties may include:
- Obstetricians and delivery doctors
- Nurses and nurse practitioners
- Anesthesiologists
- Medical residents or assisting physicians
- Hospitals and medical facilities
An experienced Seattle birth injury lawyer will investigate your case and identify each party that contributed to your child’s injury.
What Compensation Is Available in a Seattle Birth Injury Claim?
Birth injuries can result in substantial medical expenses and long-term care needs. Washington law allows families to pursue compensation for their child’s economic and non-economic damages related to such an incident.
Depending on your case, your compensation award may include money for:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs
- Rehabilitation, therapy, and specialized care
- Assistive devices and home modifications
- Lost earning capacity for your child
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Long-term disability care
Birth injury claims typically require expert financial testimony and detailed financial projections to assess a child and family’s long-term expenses related to a birth injury.
A skilled birth injury attorney in Seattle can help you track and identify all your losses and consult experts across disciplines to understand what your child will need in the future.
How To Calculate Pain and Suffering in a Birth Injury Case
Calculating pain and suffering in a birth injury case generally involves either the multiplier method or the per diem method.
Multiplier Method
Under the multiplier method, economic damages, such as medical expenses, therapy costs, specialized care, and lost future earning capacity, are multiplied by a number, typically between 1.5 and 5, based on the severity of the injury. Serious birth injuries like cerebral palsy, hypoxic brain damage, and permanent nerve injuries often justify a higher multiplier due to their lifelong impact.
Per Diem Method
The per diem method assigns a daily dollar amount to the child's pain and suffering and multiplies it by the number of days the child is expected to experience the effects of the injury. While this approach can be more difficult to apply in birth injury cases involving permanent disabilities, it may still be used to help quantify long-term pain and loss of quality of life.
Because birth injuries often result in lifelong physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges, pain and suffering damages can be substantial. An experienced birth injury attorney can help ensure these non-economic losses are properly valued and supported by evidence.
What is the Statute of Limitations in Washington Birth Injury Cases?
In Washington, malpractice claims must generally be filed within three years of the medical error or within one year of discovering the injury, whichever occurs later. Special rules may apply when the injured patient is a minor, and the time limit may be paused until the child reaches 18.
You should consult with a Seattle birth injury attorney as soon as possible for help understanding the deadlines in your case.
What Are Some Common Types of Birth Injuries in Seattle?
Birth injuries can occur any time before, during, or shortly after delivery. Many are preventable and only occur because healthcare providers fail to follow appropriate medical protocols and respond promptly to complications.
Common birth injuries include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Brain injuries
- Fractures caused by improper delivery techniques
- Shoulder dystocia injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Facial paralysis
- Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors
- Wrongful death
Tragically, children with birth injuries may require long-term medical care and on-going support. A birth injury claim can help you pursue compensation for the treatment and therapies they need to give them a normal life.
Contact a Seattle Birth Injury Lawyer Today for Help
If your child was injured due to negligent medical care in Seattle, you deserve answers. Birth injuries can create lifelong challenges, but you can seek accountability through a medical malpractice case.
Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer is here to help. We have decades of experience handling complex birth injury claims. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with a Seattle birth injury lawyer. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.