Grand Rapids Birth Injury Lawyer

Dedicated Birth Injury Attorneys In Grand Rapids

Learning that your newborn suffered a birth injury can be a distressing experience. Discovering that the injury was preventable can lead to a call for answers and accountability. As you pursue justice, you can rely on a Grand Rapids birth injury attorney to provide you with the steady support your case deserves.

If you are seeking justice and accountability from a negligent doctor or healthcare worker, you need reliable legal support from a respected Grand Rapids personal injury law firm. Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC brings more than 40 years of legal experience to these matters, and we take a focused, results-driven approach to these cases.

When you secure representation from our firm, you gain the unwavering support of advocates who care about your case and the harm your family suffered. What sets our law firm apart is our focus on managing complex Grand Rapids medical malpractice cases. We take the time to discover where the health care system fell short and calculate the full impact of the harm your family suffered. As trial-ready litigators, we are prepared to take your case to court or before a judge or jury when necessary.

Common Birth Injuries and Causes

Birth injuries can occur during labor and delivery, often from medical negligence or a failure to respond appropriately to fetal distress. Tragically, these stories are far from uncommon in Michigan. A 2025 Michigan medical malpractice case involving accusations of negligent management of a mother’s labor led to a lump-sum payment that was sealed and not disclosed publicly. The baby, according to court records, suffered brain damage at birth.

Recognizing the specific type of injury is a crucial first step when determining whether preventable medical errors contributed to the harm.

• Cerebral Palsy often results from oxygen deprivation or asphyxia during a difficult delivery, which affects muscle control, movement, and posture. A CDC-led study published in 2026 found that cerebral palsy affected approximately 4 out of every 1,000 8-year-old children across five U.S. communities.
• Brachial Plexus injuries, such as Erb’s Palsy, involve damage to the nerve network providing movement to the shoulder, arm, and hand due to excessive pulling or improper use of delivery tools. The incidence of brachial plexus injuries is around 0.9 to 1.1 per 1,000 live births in the U.S.
• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy represents a form of brain damage caused by insufficient oxygen and blood flow to the infant’s brain before, during, or immediately after birth. A 2024 study of more than 141,000 live births identified 418 cases of HIE, or 2.9 per 1,000 newborns.
• Fractures, which most commonly affect the clavicle, frequently occur during difficult deliveries involving large infants or breech presentations.

Underlying causes of birth injuries frequently stem from delayed emergency C-sections, failure to monitor fetal heart rates properly, misuse of delivery instruments, or failing to recognize signs of maternal distress. When these preventable errors occur, families have the right to pursue accountability.

When Is a Hospital at Fault for a Birth Injury?

Before your family can pursue financial recovery for a birth injury, you will need to establish fault. Medical malpractice claims are often complex, making it necessary to reach out to an attorney to understand the steps that are involved in holding a hospital or healthcare worker accountable for harming your newborn.

A hospital may be at fault for a birth injury when the care provided during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or immediately after birth falls below the accepted standard of care and causes harm. The accepted standard of care generally refers to the level of care a reasonably skilled medical professional would provide under similar circumstances.

Birth injuries can result from:

• Failures to recognize signs of fetal distress
• Delays in responding to complications
• Improper management of a difficult delivery
• Inadequate monitoring of the mother or baby
• Performing a necessary C-section too late
• Misuse of forceps, vacuum extractors, or other delivery tools

Hospitals may also face claims involving errors by medical professionals responsible for monitoring or treating the mother and child.

Not every poor outcome means that medical malpractice occurred. Determining whether care fell below the accepted standard requires careful consideration of the circumstances surrounding the birth. When a preventable medical error causes serious harm, an experienced birth injury attorney can assess the situation, involve medical experts, and help a family understand its legal options.

Understanding the State’s Statute of Limitations

When residents in Grand Rapids work with an attorney to file a medical malpractice claim, the case is typically heard at the Kent County Courthouse, located at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW here in Grand Rapids. The court has jurisdiction in matters involving more than $25,000. Michigan law establishes filing deadlines that must be met.

These deadlines are known as statutes of limitations, and missing this deadline can mean that your case is dismissed. For claims involving accusations of medical negligence, there is generally a two-year window for taking action in court. If the injury is hidden, you can file a claim within a six-month period after you discover or reasonably should have discovered the injury. These laws promote court efficiency, preserve key evidence while it is available, and protect defendants from open-ended litigation.

Evidence That Can Support Your Claim

Holding a hospital legally accountable for a birth injury requires proving that the hospital or its staff failed to meet the accepted standard of care during labor and delivery. Birth injury claims may involve concerns about hospital staffing, essential monitoring equipment, or the care provided by medical professionals during labor and delivery.

Hospitals can also be held responsible for the medical malpractice of nurses, technicians, and employed physicians acting within the scope of their employment. Evidence such as hospital protocols, medical records, shift logs, and electronic fetal monitoring strips may provide important information about the care provided during labor and delivery.

What You May Be Owed

Families facing the aftermath of a birth injury may confront significant financial and emotional hardships that extend far beyond the initial medical care. A serious injury can affect a child’s health, development, independence, and quality of life for years to come.

A birth injury claim can account for the many ways an injury affects a child and family. Payments from an injury claim could address ongoing medical treatment, pediatric therapies, high-quality nursing care, assistive medical equipment, and necessary modifications to a home or vehicle.

The harm is not always tangible and tied to financial losses. A serious birth injury may cause physical pain, emotional suffering, developmental limitations, and a reduced ability to participate in everyday activities. Because every child and injury is different, an experienced birth injury attorney can evaluate the full impact of the harm when pursuing a fair financial recovery.

What to Expect During the Injury Claims Process

After a suspected birth injury, gathering information about what happened can be an important first step. Families should preserve medical records, bills, correspondence, photographs, and other documentation related to the pregnancy, delivery, and child’s condition. Keeping records of ongoing medical treatment and documenting how the injury affects the child can also provide valuable information.

Concerns about a potentially preventable birth injury should be discussed with an experienced medical malpractice attorney before making important decisions about a potential claim. An attorney representing the family can initiate a birth injury case by filing a Notice of Intent to the healthcare providers explaining the failure to meet standards of care. The provider has 182 days to review the case.

An attorney can review the circumstances surrounding the injury and assess whether the care fell below accepted medical standards. They can also review available evidence, address questions about the hospital’s response, and help families understand their legal options while protecting their interests.

Why You Should Hire a Birth Injury Attorney

Filing a claim against a well-funded hospital can seem like an intimidating prospect. If you do not hire a birth injury attorney, it can be difficult to discover essential medical evidence to build a compelling case to pursue the financial recovery that you may be owed under the state’s birth injury laws.

By working with an experienced Grand Rapids birth injury attorney, you gain steadfast support from a local law firm that understands the legal process and the steps that are needed to pursue a favorable outcome for your birth injury claim.

Your attorney can explain what to expect, review the details of the harm your newborn suffered, and gather the evidence that is needed to build a strong claim that leads to financial relief. When needed, they can take the case to court at the Kent County Courthouse to see that your family receives the justice and accountability that you deserve.

Contact a Trusted Birth Injury Law Firm

A birth injury can leave a child facing lifelong challenges and families struggling with questions about what went wrong. At Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, we bring more than four decades of experience to complex medical malpractice cases throughout Michigan.

Our attorneys understand the serious consequences that can result when medical providers fail to meet accepted standards of care during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. We are committed to seeking answers, holding negligent medical providers accountable, and pursuing the optimal outcome for every client.

If your child suffered a preventable birth injury, contact our firm today to discuss your case and legal options. Our diligent legal team can provide you with the focused and compassionate legal support that your case needs to succeed.

Areas We Serve

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC represents families in Grand Rapids whose children suffered preventable injuries during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or neonatal care. Our attorneys handle complex claims involving cerebral palsy, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, brachial plexus injuries, delayed C-sections, fetal distress, and other serious birth injuries.

We serve families throughout Kent County and nearby West Michigan communities, including Wyoming, Kentwood, Walker, Grandville, East Grand Rapids, and surrounding areas. When litigation is necessary, Grand Rapids medical malpractice cases may proceed through the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County.

Whether the injury occurred at a hospital, birthing center, or another medical facility, our team can investigate the care provided and explain the family’s legal options. Contact Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC to discuss a suspected birth injury and the steps available for pursuing accountability.

Grand Rapids, MI Birth Injury Law Additional Resources:

• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and Cerebral Palsy Causation – All You Need to Know
• The Medical Standard of Care in Michigan and How It’s Proven
• Pre-Suit Investigation Checklist for Michigan Medical Malpractice Claims – What You Need to Know
• C-Section Delays and Failure to Respond to Fetal Distress in Michigan
• How Expert Witnesses Work in Michigan Medical Malpractice Cases

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