This article has been fact checked by an experienced birth injury attorney. Sources of information for the article are listed at the bottom.
For any content issues please Contact Us.
Honolulu cerebral palsy lawyers are experts in the local area and birth injuries and medical malpractice laws. They work with families of children born with cerebral palsy to help them file lawsuits, seek justice, and recover damages for costly treatments.
Did Medical Malpractice Cause My Child’s Cerebral Palsy?
If your child was born in a Honolulu area hospital and later received a cerebral palsy diagnosis, you might wonder if the hospital is to blame. Medical negligence is any mistake made by a doctor due to failing to provide care up to an agreed-upon standard.
If that mistake leads to your child’s disability, it could be considered medical malpractice. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth can cause brain damage in a fetus or baby that results in cerebral palsy and other conditions.
Get Matched with a Leading Birth Injury Attorney in Your Area
Get Help NowSometimes, these complications are no one’s fault. In other cases, a doctor’s or a nurse’s errors directly caused them. If your child’s disabilities resulted from medical malpractice, you have a right to take legal action and to seek to recover damages.
When Do I Need a Honolulu Cerebral Palsy Lawyer?
It is not always obvious that medical malpractice caused birth injuries. With your focus on your child’s care and well-being, how can you know or go up against a big Honolulu hospital? You can’t, and that’s why you need a local cerebral palsy lawyer.
They have experience helping victims of medical malpractice and birth injuries. They know the local hospitals and doctors. Their network has medical experts who can investigate your situation and determine whether doctors are to blame.
It’s worth talking to a lawyer even if you don’t go through with a lawsuit. They can clarify your situation and determine the strength of your case. If you decide to file, your lawyer will help you recover damages that will pay the costs of your child’s treatments and lifelong care.
How Do I Choose a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer?
Choosing the lawyer to represent you and your child is essential to the outcome of your case. You need someone with relevant experience, medical experts, and proven wins for similar clients.
Start your search by finding firms that cover medical malpractice and birth injury cases. Take advantage of their offers for free consultations to review your case and interview lawyers and firms. You are not obligated to hire a firm that offers this free service.
After talking to a few local cerebral palsy lawyers, choose the best lawyer to represent you. The lawyer should be able to refer you to past wins and clients, offer contingency payment, and be transparent and open about your chances of getting a settlement.
Honolulu Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Win for Local Clients
Every case is different, but these lawsuits brought by area families on behalf of their children give you a good idea of what the right lawyer can do:
- $11 Million. Kara Mae McCraw was born at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu in 2005. Her mother, Celia, was under the care of an inexperienced resident. Kara showed signs of distress that the resident and supervising doctor failed to deliver her for another hour. She was barely alive by the time they did, and she lost enough oxygen to suffer severe brain damage. She now lives with disabilities that require around-the-clock care. A federal judge awarded the family $11 million in damages for her care.[1]
- $16.5 Million. Izzy Peterson was born in the same facility in Honolulu in 2016. A doctor at Tripler mistakenly gave him carbon dioxide instead of oxygen after he was born healthy. This lasted for nearly 45 minutes, resulting in severe cerebral palsy and disabilities that require a feeding tube for life. A federal judge gave the family a record-high award for his care.[2]
- $9 Million. Again, at Tripler, a baby suffered serious birth injuries because of medical mistakes. Noah Whitney suffered catastrophic brain damage when he was born in 2010. The staff failed to respond to risk factors for and signs of a uterine rupture in the mother. Noah lost oxygen and now has severe disabilities.[3]
Cerebral Palsy Treatment and Resources in Honolulu
If your child is disabled because of medical negligence, legal action is essential. Also critical is getting the best care for your child at Honolulu medical and care facilities:
Shriner’s Children’s Hospital
The Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Honolulu focuses on pediatric care and specialties. A child with cerebral palsy can benefit from several of these areas of specialty: orthopedics, gait analysis and correction, rehabilitation, recreational therapy, and more.
Treatment at Shriner’s is focused on children and involves the entire family. A team of specialists works with each family to evaluate the child and create a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan.[4]
1310 Punahou Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 941-4466
Kapi’Olani Medical Center for Women and Children
In addition to Shriner’s, families in Honolulu can turn to Kapi’Olani Medical Center for specialist pediatric care. The facility recently added minimally invasive surgery suites so that children with cerebral palsy and other conditions can benefit from the latest surgical technologies.
Children with cerebral palsy can also receive care from pediatric orthopedics, neurodevelopment, gastroenterology, respiratory conditions, audiology, nephrology, and urology specialists.[5]
1319 Punahou Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 983-6000
United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawai’i
Honolulu is also home to a branch of the UCP, which offers several services for disabled children and adults. Early intervention services include developmental evaluations, family support plans, care coordination, and referrals. Families can also apply for funds to buy assistive technologies.[6]
414 Kuwili Street
Suite 105
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 532-6744
You can count on a Honolulu cerebral palsy lawyer to have your child’s best interests at heart. They will fight for your child and your family to get justice and to recover damages.
Get Matched with a Leading Birth Injury Attorney in Your Area
Get Help NowReferences
- Nakaso, D. (2010, September 22). Feds Pay $11M to Settle Lawsuit over Tripler Errors. Honolulu Star Adveriser.
Retrieved from: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2010/09/22/hawaii-news/feds-pay-11m-to-settle-lawsuit-over-tripler-errors/ - Fujimori, L. (2006, October 20). Tripler to Pay $16.5M for Damaged Newborn. Honolulu Star Bulletin.
Retrieved from: http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/10/20/news/story04.html - Insurance Journal. (2014, January 30). $9M Settlement for Boy's Cerebral Palsy from Hawaii Hospital.
Retrieved from: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2014/01/30/318943.htm - Shriner's Children's. (n.d.). Pediatric Specialty Care in Hawaii.
Retrieved from: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/locations/hawaii - Kapi'Olani Medical Center for Women & Children. (n.d.). Pediatrics.
Retrieved from: https://www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/kapiolani/services/pediatrics/ - United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawai'i. (n.d.). Programs & Services.
Retrieved from: https://unitedcerebralpalsyhawaii.org/programs/