Questions?What Are Infant Meningitis Legal Settlements?
Infant meningitis legal settlements are agreements that provide compensation to families impacted by the deadly infection. They are meant to hold health care providers accountable for failures during childbirth by awarding money to families for their child’s care.
Meningitis in infants is often caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections that can be transmitted during childbirth. Many cases can be prevented with proper medical care, like timely diagnosis and treatment.
Severe cases of meningitis may lead to lasting brain damage, requiring lifelong medical support and specialized care.
Infant meningitis legal settlements can provide financial support to help manage the medical expenses involved in caring for a baby who was harmed. Settlements are usually negotiated out of court.
The Birth Injury Justice Center works with top birth injury lawyers who can help families in all 50 states. Our legal network has recovered over $962 million for families affected by preventable birth trauma, including infant meningitis.
If your child’s condition could have been avoided, we may be able to help you pursue an infant meningitis legal settlement.
Get a free case review right now to see if you may qualify.
Recent Infant Meningitis Settlements
Payouts from infant meningitis legal settlements and verdicts vary depending on the severity of the child’s injury and the quality of medical care they received.
Cases of severe harm can result in multimillion-dollar infant meningitis legal settlements.
- $9 million in Illinois for not testing the mother for Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
- $4.1 million in California for failure to diagnose meningitis in a 4-year-old child
- $1 million in New Jersey for seizures due to failure to treat meningitis
- $7.8 million in North Carolina for severe brain damage from missing meningitis
If your child’s condition was caused by birth injury medical malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation, too. For many families, working with experienced birth injury attorneys helped them secure enough money for their child’s lifetime care.
The best way to determine the value of your potential infant meningitis legal settlement is to get a free consultation from an experienced legal professional.
Call the Birth Injury Justice Center right now at (800) 914-1562 or Click to Live Chat to see if we can connect you.
Newborn Meningitis and Medical Malpractice
When health care professionals fail to provide appropriate care, it may be considered medical malpractice.
While meningitis in newborns may be unavoidable in some cases, it often results from medical errors during childbirth.
For example, failing to maintain proper hygiene, including cleansing medical tools like vacuum extractors, forceps, and feeding tubes, or not washing hands can spread infections to infants.
Additionally, delays in treating meningitis can lead to severe newborn brain damage.
- Delaying vaccinations or failing to provide preventive care for at-risk infants
- Failing to detect or treat maternal infections that can be passed to a baby
- Ignoring proper sterilization practices, leading to hospital-acquired infections
- Misdiagnosing or delaying treatment of newborn infections
- Missing a ruptured membrane (water breaking) and delaying delivery
- Neglecting signs of infection in a baby, like fever, irritability, or feeding issues
- Treating infants with antibiotics for too long, which can lead to meningitis
Compensation from a birth injury lawsuit can help families cover medical costs and provide the best care for their child.
If you believe your baby’s infant meningitis could have been prevented, an experienced medical malpractice attorney may be able to fight for the compensation and justice your family deserves.
Who Qualifies for Infant Meningitis Legal Settlements?
Families of babies who were harmed by infant meningitis may qualify to file a birth injury lawsuit and seek an infant brain meningitis settlement if medical negligence played a role.
Those who may be eligible to seek infant meningitis legal settlements include:
- Parents: The child’s primary caregivers who have been directly affected
- Legal guardians: Individuals with legal responsibility for the child
It’s important to understand that long-term harm caused by newborn infant meningitis may not be immediately apparent. Symptoms of brain damage often don’t appear until a child begins to grow and miss milestones.
You don’t need an official diagnosis of harm caused by the infection to pursue infant meningitis legal settlements.
An experienced birth injury attorney can determine whether you qualify. They will guide you through the legal process with as little added stress as possible.
If you have questions about your eligibility, connect with one of our experienced labor and delivery nurses right now. Your call is free, and there is no obligation to move forward.
Beth has more than 18 years of specialized experience in labor and delivery. She’s available to hear your story and help you figure out the cause of your child’s injury — and what you can do next.
Talk to A Nurse Now
Call or chat with a caring, experienced nurse right now — we’re standing by to get you help and answers.
Steps to Pursuing Infant Meningitis Lawsuit Settlements
Seeking infant meningitis legal settlements involves several important steps. Understanding how the legal process works can help families know what to expect.
- Free case review: Top birth injury attorneys offer free initial consultations to determine if you may be eligible to file a lawsuit. Get your free case review now.
- Collect evidence: Your legal team will gather key evidence to build a solid case. This may include medical records, witness statements, and expert opinions.
- File the lawsuit: Next, your birth injury lawyer will file your lawsuit in the proper court, ensuring all legal deadlines are met.
- Access settlement money: Finally, they will work with the other side to reach an infant meningitis settlement as quickly as possible.
If both parties can’t agree to acceptable settlement terms, your legal team will continue fighting for your family in court. However, most birth injury lawsuits settle out of court.
When you work with an experienced birth injury attorney, you can focus on your child without added stress. Your legal team will fight for the infant meningitis legal settlement your family deserves.
Factors That Affect Infant Meningitis Settlement Amounts
Several factors influence how much money families may receive from infant meningitis legal settlements.
- Severity of harm and the long-term effects caused by your child’s infection
- Costs of ongoing medical care, like medications and specialized treatments
- Extent of medical malpractice, including mistakes made during childbirth
- Physical and emotional distress your child and family are put through
- State where your baby was born since regulations can differ greatly
The Birth Injury Justice Center partners with experienced birth injury attorneys who can calculate all related costs and fight for an infant meningitis legal settlement to pay for your child’s lifetime care.
Get a free case review to see how we may be able to help you secure the compensation your family deserves.
When to Pursue Infant Meningitis Legal Settlements
You should consider pursuing an infant meningitis legal settlement as soon as you suspect your child suffered harm from their infection due to medical mistakes.
It’s important to act quickly because there’s a strict deadline for filing lawsuits, known as the statute of limitations. Once this timeframe passes, you will no longer be able to take legal action.
Each state has a specific deadline for filing birth injury lawsuits. Therefore, it’s crucial to consult with an attorney who understands the laws in your area. An experienced birth injury lawyer can advise you on when you need to file your lawsuit.
Additionally, brain damage or long-term harm from infant meningitis may not be immediately noticeable, and symptoms might only appear as your baby grows and misses milestones.
An experienced lawyer can protect your legal rights, even without an official diagnosis.
Don’t wait to find out your legal options — call us right now at (800) 914-1562.
Get Help Seeking an Infant Meningitis Settlement
The Birth Injury Justice Center understands that your child’s well-being is your top priority. Infant meningitis legal settlements can provide the resources you need for your child’s lifelong care.
We’ve partnered with experienced infant meningitis lawyers who can help families in all 50 states. If you are eligible, our legal partners will support you through every step and work to secure the compensation your family needs.
Our network has recovered more than $962 million for families affected by preventable birth injuries, and they may be able to help your family, too.
Call us right now at (800) 914-1562 or fill out our case review form to see if we can help you provide a brighter future for your child.
Infant Meningitis Legal Settlements FAQs
What is the average settlement for infant meningitis cases?
Infant meningitis legal settlements vary and depend on factors like the severity of damage, ongoing medical needs, and long-term effects. However, the average birth injury settlement is over $1 million.
An experienced infant meningitis lawyer can evaluate the specifics of your case and tell you how much money you may be entitled to. These skilled attorneys fight for the maximum infant meningitis legal settlements allowed by law.
Get a free case review right now to find out if we can connect you with an experienced infant meningitis lawyer near you.
What is medical negligence for meningitis?
Medical negligence for meningitis occurs when health care professionals fail to properly diagnose, treat, or prevent the infection in a timely manner.
This could include ignoring symptoms, mismanaging treatment, or failing to follow proper hygiene practices, leading to harm or worsened outcomes for the newborn.
A legal expert can help you determine whether malpractice played a role in your child’s injury.
Call the Birth Injury Justice Center right now at (800) 914-1562 to talk with one of our on-staff labor and delivery nurses about whether your child’s condition could have been prevented.
What are common causes of meningitis in newborns?
Common causes of meningitis in newborns include bacterial infections like Group B strep, E. coli, and Listeria, as well as viral infections that can be transmitted from the mother during childbirth.
Contaminated medical equipment and poor hygiene practices in the hospital can also contribute to the spread of meningitis.
How much does it cost to pursue an infant meningitis settlement?
Most birth injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis and do not charge any upfront or hourly fees for their services. Your legal team only gets paid if they secure compensation for you.
