California birth-injury litigation.
Maro Law represents clients in California birth-injury litigation involving prenatal care, labor, delivery and newborn care. A serious diagnosis can raise difficult questions, but it does not by itself establish that a provider was negligent. The office is in Glendale.
A diagnosis and a negligence claim are different questions.
A child can have a serious medical condition even when appropriate care was provided. A legal assessment considers what happened, what care was required in those circumstances, and whether a failure of care caused harm. Medical information can help explain a diagnosis; it cannot decide whether a particular family has a legal claim.
The following summaries provide context for questions families may bring to a lawyer. They are not a diagnosis or a complete list of conditions.
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy affects movement and posture. It can result from abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain before, during or after birth. The specific cause is often unknown. CP should not automatically be attributed to a delivery error or lack of oxygen during labor.
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
Neonatal HIE involves inadequate oxygen or blood flow to a baby’s brain before, during or shortly after birth. Establishing its medical cause, timing and relationship to the care provided requires an individual assessment. The diagnosis alone does not establish negligence.
Brachial plexus injuries and Erb’s palsy
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves serving the shoulder and arm. Injury can cause weakness or reduced movement. Several mechanisms can be involved, including compression or stretching; the diagnosis alone does not establish how the injury occurred or whether care was negligent.
Jaundice and kernicterus
Severe jaundice that remains untreated can lead to kernicterus, a form of brain injury. A legal assessment must still consider the individual medical circumstances, the care provided and whether any failure of care caused harm.
CDC: Risk factors for cerebral palsy, including jaundice and kernicterus
Questions about a child’s symptoms, diagnosis or treatment belong with the child’s medical team. This page provides general information about legal review, not medical advice.
What a birth-injury claim requires.
California medical-negligence claims require more than an unfavorable outcome. The assessment considers the provider’s duty, a departure from the applicable standard of care, harm, and the connection between the negligent care and that harm.
Standard of care
The question is whether the provider used the skill, knowledge and care reasonably expected of an appropriate medical professional in comparable circumstances. The provider’s role and specialty matter.
Causation
It is necessary to connect the alleged failure of care to the injury. Events occurring close together do not, by themselves, establish that connection.
Expert review
Qualified medical expert analysis is usually needed to evaluate the standard of care and causation. An assessment should consider explanations that support a claim and those that do not.
California Courts: Medical-negligence jury instructions, CACI 500–505 (PDF)
Preparing for an initial conversation.
You do not need to diagnose the cause of an injury before contacting a lawyer. For your own preparation, it can help to organize:
- The approximate dates of pregnancy care, delivery and any newborn hospitalization.
- The names of hospitals and health care providers involved.
- The diagnosis or concern as it was explained to you, and the questions you want to ask.
- A list of records you already have, such as discharge summaries or reports, and any records you know are missing.
Keep this information for a conversation with the firm. Do not paste medical records, identification numbers or confidential details into the website form. Begin with contact details and a brief, general description. If more information is needed, ask the firm how it should be provided.
An incomplete set of records need not prevent an initial inquiry. Whether further records or expert review are appropriate depends on the matter. Contacting the firm does not mean that representation has begun or that any deadline has been protected.
How a matter may be evaluated.
Initial inquiry
The first step is to ask whether the firm can consider the matter. An inquiry does not guarantee a consultation or acceptance of a case.
Records and chronology
A review may involve relevant records to understand the sequence of prenatal, delivery and newborn care. These may include prenatal charts, fetal-monitoring records, delivery notes, nursing notes and newborn records. The records needed depend on the questions being investigated.
Medical and legal assessment
Qualified specialists may be consulted to assess the medical issues. The legal review considers whether the evidence supports pursuing a claim. Further review does not guarantee acceptance of a matter or a particular result.
A decision about next steps
Before agreeing to representation, ask who will handle the matter, what work is included, and how attorney fees and case costs will be addressed.
Maro Burunsuzyan
Learn about Maro Burunsuzyan’s professional background and the firm’s practice.
About the founder →Questions families ask.
Does a cerebral palsy or HIE diagnosis mean there was negligence?
No. A diagnosis describes a medical condition; it does not establish that a provider failed to meet the standard of care or caused the injury. Medical records and qualified expert analysis usually help assess those separate questions.
Do I need all the medical records before contacting the firm?
You can start with a brief, general inquiry and explain that records are incomplete. Ask what additional information would be needed for further review and how to provide it. Do not submit medical records through this website form.
What does an initial consultation cost?
Ask the firm about any consultation charges and proposed attorney-fee and case-cost terms before proceeding.
How long do I have to act?
A webpage cannot determine the filing or notice deadlines for your circumstances. Seek advice from a California attorney promptly. Sending a website inquiry does not stop or extend a deadline, and you should not wait for a response if a deadline may be approaching.
Does sending an inquiry mean Maro Law represents us?
No. A website inquiry is a request for initial review. It does not create an attorney-client relationship or confirm that the firm will take the matter. The firm must separately agree to representation.
Can I contact the firm from outside Glendale?
Yes. The office is in Glendale, and the firm’s practice serves clients throughout California. You can contact the firm in English or Spanish.
Sources
The medical sources explain general conditions. They do not establish negligence in an individual case. The court materials explain legal standards; applying them requires attention to the particular facts and law.