According to the allegations being investigated, the pregnancy became concerning late in the third trimester when the mother developed pregnancy-induced hypertension, proteinuria, and headaches. The child was delivered by cesarean section in December 2023. At birth, she was not breathing and required positive pressure ventilation. In the days that followed, there were also reported concerns about possible seizure activity. Later testing and imaging ultimately showed that the child had suffered an irreversible stroke.

Today, the child faces significant challenges. She has global developmental delays and requires ongoing physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and special instruction. She can only walk with the assistance of an ankle brace.  She is also required to  wear a brace on her right hand due to persistent weakness and fisting.

At this stage, our focus is on securing answers, identifying what happened, and helping this family pursue accountability and the resources their child may need for the rest of her life.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that affects movement, muscle tone, posture, and coordination. It is often associated with injury or damage to the developing brain. In some cases, cerebral palsy may be linked to prenatal conditions or unavoidable complications. In others, it may follow preventable medical failures before, during, or shortly after birth.

Not every child with cerebral palsy has a legal case. But when there are signs that a provider failed to monitor fetal distress, delayed intervention, missed seizures, failed to order appropriate testing, or dismissed clear neurological concerns, families may have the right to investigate whether medical negligence played a role.

Why These Cases Matter

Cerebral palsy cases are among the most important and demanding cases a law firm can take. They are not just about what happened in a delivery room or pediatric office. They are about the lifelong consequences of a brain injury and what a child will need to live as safely, independently, and fully as possible.

These cases matter because the costs are enormous. A child with cerebral palsy or another serious neurological injury may need years of therapy, specialist care, mobility devices, adaptive equipment, home modifications, educational support, and future attendant care. Parents are often forced into a life of constant advocacy, coordination, and worry, all while trying to hold their family together emotionally and financially.

We take these cases because families deserve the truth. They deserve to know whether warning signs were missed, whether earlier intervention would have changed the outcome, and whether the harm could have been prevented.

Common Issues in Cerebral Palsy and Birth Injury Litigation

Every case is different, but many of these claims involve one or more of the following issues:

• Failure to recognize maternal or fetal warning signs before delivery
• Delay in responding to fetal distress or oxygen deprivation
• Failure to timely perform a cesarean section
• Improper neonatal resuscitation or delayed escalation of care
• Failure to admit a newborn to the NICU for further monitoring
• Missed seizure activity in the newborn period
• Delay in referring a child for neurology evaluation or advanced imaging
• Dismissal of one-sided weakness, delayed milestones, or other signs of neurological injury

In many cases, the most important question is not whether a child has a diagnosis. It is when the signs first appeared, what providers knew, and what they did or failed to do in response.

How McEldrew Purtell Helps Families

Cerebral palsy and birth injury cases require aggressive investigation and a clear understanding of both medicine and long-term damages. At McEldrew Purtell, our work begins with the records. We examine prenatal care, labor and delivery records, fetal monitoring, neonatal assessments, pathology findings, pediatric follow-up, and specialist evaluations. We work with qualified experts to determine whether the standard of care was violated and whether those failures caused or worsened the child’s condition.

We also build the full picture of damages. That includes not only past medical care, but the projected future costs of therapy, rehabilitation, equipment, education, and support services. In catastrophic child injury cases, that future-focused work is critical.

Most importantly, we understand what is at stake. Families are not looking for abstract legal theories. They are trying to secure care, stability, dignity, and opportunity for their child.

When Families Should Ask Questions

Parents know when something feels wrong. When concerns about delayed milestones, weakness on one side, feeding issues, unusual movements, or suspected seizures are brushed aside, families should trust their instincts and keep pushing for answers.

A delayed diagnosis can mean lost opportunities for intervention, delayed therapy, and months of uncertainty during a critical period of development. Even when the underlying injury cannot be reversed, timely referral and treatment still matter.

Our Investigation Is Ongoing

McEldrew Purtell is proud to represent this child and her family as we investigate the circumstances surrounding her birth, neonatal care, and delayed neurological diagnosis. Cases like this require careful review, expert analysis, and a commitment to uncovering the full story.

If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, suffered a perinatal stroke, experienced seizures after birth, or showed developmental delays that were dismissed for months, you may have legal options worth exploring.

If you believe medical negligence may have contributed to your child’s cerebral palsy, stroke, seizures, or developmental delays, contact McEldrew Purtell for a confidential consultation. Our team can review what happened, help preserve critical evidence, and discuss what legal options may be available.