Pennsylvania is the thirty-second largest state in the United States. Pennsylvania also has over 40,000 active lawyers. Although most of those lawyers do not practice medical malpractice or handle a cerebral palsy case, a large portion does handle them.
That’s where it gets difficult.
Lawyers will advertise for cerebral palsy or birth injury claims and have no experience litigating those exact claims they advertise for. Searching for the “best” cerebral palsy lawyer in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, or any other city in the commonwealth will lead to several places. However, to truly narrow down “the best,” it involves a deeper look at what “best” actually is.
We define “best” as someone who:
- Has substantial knowledge of cerebral palsy and birth injuries.
- Has litigation experience with cerebral palsy and birth injury cases.
- Has the verdicts and settlement to back up their litigation experience.
- Specializes in cerebral palsy and birth injury cases.
Who is the “best” cerebral palsy lawyer in Pennsylvania?
Everyone wants the best. Very few people will search “mediocre cardiologist,” when they have a heart issue. People want the “best cardiologist in X state.”
While “best” can absolutely be biased, the above checklist for what we deem as “best,” can assist in the process of finding a cerebral palsy or birth injury lawyer in Pennsylvania.
Our choice for the best cerebral palsy lawyer in Pennsylvania
Shrager & Sachs of Philadelphia has been in business since 1978. The firm’s founder, David S. Shrager was a mentor to other trial attorneys in Pennsylvania, and referred to as a “lawyer’s lawyer,” while founding the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. The firm’s managing partner, Robert L. Sachs, Jr., continues that legacy to this day and brings several decades of litigation experience.
Mr. Sachs has received his share of multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Over the years, Mr. Sachs has obtained a $4 million dollar settlement in a cerebral palsy case. The case involved alleged negligence on behalf of the hospital and leaving the plaintiff for hours without care, which led to bradycardia and ultimately cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
Not All Pennsylvania Jurisdictions are Treated the Same
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has 67 counties. They range from as far northwest as Erie, to the southeast corner of Philadelphia. While they are surely all part of the same state, hospitals, demographics, and juries vary widely throughout the entire commonwealth and can have a major impact on case results, if the case were to end up going in front of a jury.
The lesser-known factor of “best cerebral palsy” lawyers is someone who knows how to navigate these jurisdictions and file the lawsuit in the best possible court and city. Philadelphia and surrounding counties have been shown to be the best jurisdictions for filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit or birth injury lawsuit.
Birth Injury Statistics in Pennsylvania
According to the March of Dimes, there were 130,693 live births in Pennsylvania in the latest year available, which was 2020. Out of those babies, there are approximately 4,000 who were born with a birth defect. Birth defects can occur from genetics or by way of negligence during both pregnancy and labor and delivery.
During an average week of births in Pennsylvania, 240 babies are born pre-term, which is generally before 37 weeks gestation. There is also an average of 36 babies a week born “very preterm,” which ranges from 23 to 28 weeks gestation. Unfortunately, most babies born prior to 23 weeks do not survive.
Biggest Hospitals and Common Defendants in Pennsylvania
In 2020, the hospitals with the most deliveries in Pennsylvania were:
- UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Abington Hospital
- Lehigh Valley Hospital
- The University of Pennsylvania.
- Chester County Hospital
An important distinction is that although some of the highest delivery rate hospitals report the largest numbers, the percentage of birth injury and maternal morbidity rate does not necessarily correlate. Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia has a 1.3% maternal morbidity rate, while the average for the state is 1.1%.
Verdicts and Settlements
Attorney’s obtained a $78.5 million dollar verdict on behalf of a child who suffered serious brain damage and long-term injuries, including cerebral palsy resulting from a lengthy delay in delivery.
A child who was injured because of negligence in a 1998 childbirth was awarded $2.2 million dollars from an Erie County Jury.
$20 million dollars was awarded via settlement to a family of a child who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after an allegation of failure to timely treat the baby’s hyperbilirubinemia.