What are Birth Complications?
Birth complications refer to any type of harm or damage to the baby that may occur during the pregnancy or around the time of labor and delivery. Birth complications statistics reveal that their incidence is on the rise in the United States. From 2014 to 2018, researchers noted a 14% jump in the rate of birth complications.
When birth complications definitions are broadened to include all types of birth defects, the data is more alarming. According to the CDC, every 4 ½ minutes, a baby in the US is born with a birth defect. Notably, complications of premature birth (or preterm complications) are among the more common complications of labor and delivery.
Serious birth complications for baby often occur due to oxygen deprivation to the brain, which can cause hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and may lead to cerebral palsy.
Common Birth complications that cause a severe birth injury or brain damage may include:
- Birth asphyxia from fetal distress
- Severe birth trauma from prolonged labor
- Maternal infections: Group B strep infection (leading to meningitis or septicemia)
Causes of birth complications are wide-ranging. But medical studies have demonstrated that many conditions leading to birth complications can be diagnosed and treated successfully. Unfortunately, when medical negligence results in delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or lack of timely and proper treatment, the baby may suffer severe health consequences from the resulting birth complications.
What are Common Birth Complications?
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that may impact a child’s ability to move, use muscle coordination, and maintain posture and balance. Cerebral palsy may sometimes occur when the medical team fails to perform a timely cesarean section, or makes other medical errors that cause brain damage leading to CP.
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a type of birth complication that occurs when the baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen. HIE usually occurs during the birthing process. Babies with severe HIE may experience developmental delays, cognitive defects, or conditions, such as cerebral palsy, which can have severe lifelong consequences.
Fetal Distress
Fetal distress is term used to describe a birth complication when the baby does not receive adequate oxygen and essential nutrients before birth. During labor contractions, there is a temporary blockage of the oxygen delivered to the baby from the mother. Fetal distress can occur when this oxygen deprivation becomes prolonged.
Hypoxia/Anoxia
Around the time of birth, if an unborn baby or newborn suffers from oxygen deficiency, the resulting birth complication may be described as hypoxia. When the oxygen supply around the time of birth is completely cut-off, it is termed as anoxia. Cerebral palsy is one of the most serious potential consequences when the baby suffers from anoxia or hypoxia.
Ischemia
When the blood flow to the baby’s vital organs becomes restricted, the condition is clinically known as ischemia. Infant brain ischemia or neonatal hypoxia-ischemia is usually a preventable birth complication, which occurs when the oxygen-rich blood does not flow sufficiently to the brain around the time of birth. Infant brain ischemia is a key cause of cerebral palsy.
Neonatal Seizures
Neonatal seizures or convulsions are said to occur when a baby suffers from epileptic fits during the neonatal period (first 4 weeks of birth). Neonatal seizures are usually a consequence of prolonged fetal distress during the labor and delivery process. Babies with this birth complication also have an increased risk of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, leading to cerebral palsy.
Childbirth Related Brain Injury
Brain injury in babies is a birth complication that may occur during pregnancy or around the time of labor and delivery. In many cases, the symptoms of this brain damage to the baby may manifest later in life, marked by developmental delays. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the leading major birth-related brain injury and is the leading cause of cerebral palsy.
Rh and ABO Incompatibility
The blood of the mother and the baby is usually compatible, but sometimes a “rhesus factor disorder” or “Rh incompatibility” may develop when the mother is Rh negative and the baby in the womb is Rh positive. This can make the mother’s blood toxic to the baby if certain treatment is not performed prior to birth. Rh incompatibility exposes the baby to the risk of serious birth complications, such as brain damage, seizures, and hydrops fetalis (fluid build-up and swelling).
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS)
Meconium aspiration syndrome is a birth complication that occurs when the baby’s first feces (meconium) mixes with the amniotic fluid and reaches their lungs. Fetal distress, hypoxia, maternal infection, or prolonged or arrested labor may cause the baby to gasp for breath, resulting in meconium inhalation, which can cause serious complications or even the baby’s death.
Neonatal Hypoglycemia
Neonatal hypoglycemia is a birth complication that develops when the baby’s blood glucose levels are dangerously low after birth. Neonatal hypoglycemia may develop during pregnancy due to maternal malnutrition or during the birthing process due to other birth complications including fetal distress or HIE. Babies are high at a risk of brain damage, which may eventually lead to cerebral palsy when neonatal hypoglycemia is diagnosed late or improperly treated.
Fetal Metabolic Acidosis
Fetal acidosis occurs when the in-utero baby has excessive concentration of acid and hydrogen ions in the blood. This high level of toxicity in the blood can cause oxygen deprivation, resulting in cellular damage to the brain and other vital organs. Fetal acidosis is one of indicators that the baby may have suffered the birth complication HIE during the labor and delivery process and can lead to cerebral palsy.
Fetal Bradycardia
When the heart rate of an unborn baby is abnormally low (below 120 beats per minute), it’s referred to as fetal bradycardia. A low heart rate of the baby during pregnancy indicates fetal distress. When fetal bradycardia is severe with the baby’s heart rate is below 100 beats per minute, it increases the risk of birth complications, such as HIE and cerebral palsy.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus may develop in an expectant mother when she has higher than normal blood glucose levels. This usually develops during pregnancy and resolves following delivery of the baby. Gestational diabetes increases the risk of birth complications, such as preeclampsia, fetal macrosomia, fetal hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, prolonged labor, cephalopelvic disproportion, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Jaundice and Kernicterus
Newborn jaundice occurs when a baby’s bilirubin levels in the blood are abnormally high. Bilirubin is the substance that causes yellow discoloration in the eyes and skin. When the levels of bilirubin are excessive and prolonged, it can lead to a birth complication called kernicterus. When kernicterus occurs, bilirubin reaches the baby’s brain, causing brain damage and cerebral palsy.
Placental Abruption
Premature separation of the placenta from the uterine lining is a birth complication called placental abruption. When a placental abruption occurs, the placenta is no longer able to supply enough oxygen to the baby, which creates immediate fetal distress. Placental abruption is an emergency birth complication where a c-section must be performed or the baby will suffer a brain injury including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.
Prolonged and Arrested Labor
When labor contractions last for 20 hours or more or the mother’s pushing fails to progress to a delivery, the prolonged labor occurs. If the labor progress has completed ceased, the condition is called arrested labor. In both these birth complications, the baby’s risk of developing HIE from fetal distress or birth trauma increases, which can lead to cerebral palsy, developmental delays, seizures, and cognitive problems.
Uterine Rupture
The uterus, which holds the unborn baby, is made of three muscle layers: endometrium (inner layer), myometrium (middle layer), and perimetrium (outer layer). When the uterus ruptures or splits through these layers, the birth complication is known as uterine rupture. The risk of uterine rupture is the highest when a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is attempted. A uterine rupture is a medical emergency which requires an immediate emergency c-section to prevent the baby from suffering a catastrophic brain injury.
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
When an expectant mother undergoes a vaginal delivery after she has previously delivered a baby by cesarean section, the procedure is known as a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Uterine rupture is the primary birth complication that may occur in case of a failed VBAC, which can pose risk to the lives of both the mother and the baby. A VBAC is a risky route for an obstetrician to take that puts the baby at high risk of a birth injury and certain precautions must be taken when this choice is made.
Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors during the birthing process include anesthetic overdose, inappropriate anesthesia technique, intubation errors, incorrect fetal heart rate monitoring, or communication failure between the anesthesiologist and other members of the perinatal team. Fetal distress, fetal acidosis, fetal hypoxia, HIE, and cerebral palsy are common birth complications due to anesthesia errors.
Pitocin and Cytotec Misuse
In case of prolonged or arrested labor, the medical providers may sometimes attempt to induce labor with drugs, such as Pitocin and Cytotec. Incorrect use of these drugs or a failure to properly monitor the baby when these drugs are administered can lead to birth complications, such as fetal hypoxia, ischemia, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Preeclampsia
High blood pressure condition in an expectant mother in the later stages of pregnancy is termed as preeclampsia. This condition restricts the placenta’s ability to deliver oxygenated blood and vital nutrients to the baby, increasing the risk of birth complications, such as IUGR (intra-uterine growth restriction) Severe preeclampsia may also lead to birth asphyxia, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Maternal Infections
Group B streptococcus is one of the most common bacterial infections during pregnancy, affecting about 25% of all expectant mothers. Maternal infections, such as Group B strep are associated with the occurrence of very early premature birth as well as neonatal complications that may require the use of neonatal resuscitation. Unless the infection is diagnosed early and treated aggressively, it may lead to birth complications, such as HIE and cerebral palsy.
Forceps and Vacuum Extraction Injuries
When the doctors and nurses determine that an expectant mother may not be in a position to have an unassisted delivery, they may sometimes undertake an assisted vaginal delivery using forceps and vacuum extraction tools. Mistakes in the use of these devices may lead to birth complications, such as skull fracture from birth trauma, brain bleeds, spinal cord damage, seizures, and facial or Erb’s palsy.
Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL)
PVL is damage to the inner part of the baby’s brain (white matter), around the ventricles that contain cerebrospinal fluid. Premature babies are at a higher risk of PVL. Babies with this birth complication are also at an increased risk of intra-ventricular hemorrhage, sepsis, seizures, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and cerebral palsy.
Umbilical Cord Problems
Umbilical cord related birth complications may occur during pregnancy or at the time of labor and delivery. Prolapsed umbilical cord is one of the more serious umbilical cord problems, which occurs when one or more cord loops slip through the cervix prior to the baby, causing cord compression. Umbilical cord compression (including a nuchal cord—meaning wrapped around the neck) can cut off the oxygenated blood flow to the baby, leading to HIE and cerebral palsy.
HELLP Syndrome
HELLP syndrome is a potentially life-threatening disorder that causes low platelet count and elevated liver enzymes in the expectant mother’s blood. In the absence of a timely diagnosis and treatment, HELLP syndrome can lead to birth complications for the baby, including IUGR, placental abruption, intra-ventricular hemorrhage, fetal hypoxia, premature birth, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Premature Birth
When a baby is born before the gestational age of 37 weeks, it is called a premature birth. Preterm birth and low birth weight complications are responsible for about 17% of infant deaths within the first year after birth. In particular, babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy are at an increased risk of birth complications, such as developmental delays, HIE, and cerebral palsy. Prompt and attentive neonatal care is critical to minimize the risks of these birth complications.
Cephalopelvic Disproportion
Cephalopelvic disproportion or CPD occurs when the baby’s head size is too big to fit through the mother’s pelvis. This can cause prolonged or arrested labor, increasing the risk of fetal distress. Failure to diagnose and treat CPD or a delay in performing an emergency cesarean delivery can result in birth complications, such as fetal hypoxia, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Oligohydramnios
Oligohydramnios refers to abnormally low levels of amniotic fluid volume during pregnancy in proportion to the baby’s gestational age. Amniotic fluid is vital for the baby in the womb to support safe baby movements and promote the development of the baby’s digestive and respiratory systems. Birth complications of oligohydramnios may include umbilical cord prolapse, meconium aspiration syndrome, premature birth, IUGR, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Placenta Previa
When the placenta covers the cervix fully or partially during pregnancy, the condition is known as placenta previa. An ultrasound test can diagnose placenta previa early in the pregnancy. In absence of timely detection and treatment or an emergency c-section, placenta previa can cause birth complications, such as fetal distress, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM)
When rupture of membranes (ROM) occurs after 37 weeks of pregnancy but before the start of labor, it is called PROM. If ROM occurs prior to 37 weeks of gestation, it is called preterm PROM (PPROM). Birth complications associated with PROM and PPROM include fetal distress, maternal infection, respiratory distress syndrome, fetal malpresentation, PVL, umbilical cord prolapse, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a birth complication?
A birth complication refers to an impairment of the baby’s body structure or function following an adverse medical event during pregnancy, labor, or delivery.
What complications can occur after birth?
Complications after birth may be divided into three broad categories: (a) brain damage; (b) nerve damage; and (c) orthopedic damage. Complications after birth may range widely from seizures to cerebral palsy to the baby’s death.
Are complications during birth common?
Yes, complications during birth are relatively common in the United States. According to the CDC, about 3% of all babies in the US are born with birth defects. The number increases to about 5% within the first 12 months.
What is the number one complication of childbirth?
Cerebral palsy is the number one complication of childbirth. When the fetal brain is deprived of oxygen, it can result in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which sometimes leads to cerebral palsy in babies.
What is the most common complication of childbirth?
Prolonged labor or arrested labor is the most common complication of childbirth. This complication can sometimes lead to cerebral palsy. Premature birth, PROM, preeclampsia, and Group B strep maternal infection are some other common complications of childbirth.
Can birth complications be caused by the medical malpractice of doctors and nurses?
Yes, many birth complications are preventable when attentive medical diagnosis, care and treatment is received during the labor and delivery and the period shortly after birth called the “neonatal” period. If doctors and nurses fail to follow the “standard of care” (meaning acceptable medical decision-making and treatment) then they can be held liable if their negligence (“violation of the standard of care”) causes a birth complication and injury.
Can epilepsy start as an adult from a birth complication?
Yes, according to the CDC, some birth complications may lead to epilepsy in adults.
What are the most common birth complication that arise at the time of birth?
The predominant complication factors that may arise at birth include: (1) birth complications caused by oxygen deprivation; (2) birth complications caused by premature birth; (3) birth complications caused by infection; and (4) birth complications caused by trauma.
Is Your Child’s Birth Complication the Result of Medical Malpractice?
Parents whose children suffer from birth complications want and deserve answers as to cause of their child’s complication and whether mistakes by the doctors and nurses contributed to the complication.
- Were there signs of a birth complication during the pregnancy, labor, and delivery process, or presence of risk factors, which were either not recognized or properly treated?
- Did the medical team fail to order a series of tests to diagnose a suspected complication in a timely manner?
- Was the decision to perform a cesarean delivery delayed?
- During the labor and delivery, were there clear indications that the baby was suffering from fetal distress, but appropriate actions were not taken by the obstetrician or nurses?
- Did the neonatal resuscitation team delay in providing important breathing support after birth?
- Were serious neonatal conditions like fetal hypoxia, hypoglycemia, or jaundice missed or treated incorrectly?
The experienced birth injury lawyers at Miller Weisbrod Olesky will help you determine if mistakes of the medical providers caused a birth injury to your child. Our hard working and successful birth injury attorneys have represented families all over the United States in their time of need after a birth injury. We use our experience and expertise to obtain for you and your child a medical malpractice settlement that will help provide specialized medical therapy in order to maximize the quality of life and independence of your child throughout their life.
Sometimes families are reluctant to contact a medical malpractice lawyer. It’s also not uncommon for parents to feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities they encounter in caring for their injured child and worried that they will not be able to help out in a lawsuit involving their child’s birth injury. Our birth injury attorneys and nursing staff will address these hesitations and concerns, so you can focus on your child and maximizing their care.
Registered Nurses and Nurse-Attorneys Are a Vital Part of Our Birth Injury Team…and Yours
Most national birth injury law firms will employ one or two nurses to assist the review of cases and medical research. But Miller Weisbrod Olesky offers an unmatched number of nurses and nurse-attorney employees support to both the birth injury attorneys and our clients.
Our team of registered nursing staff and nurse-attorneys bring a deep level of medical and personal insight to every client’s case. Our nursing team includes both an experienced labor and delivery nurse as well as an ICU nurse. Working closely with the rest of the team, they investigate the reasons behind a birth injury and how medical professionals breached their standard of care.
Meet our Legal Nursing Team
Linda Chalk
As a registered nurse, Linda practiced ICU nursing for 44 years while caring for a wide range of patient conditions. She has worked closely with founding partner Les Weisbrod for over 30 years, investigating and pursuing birth injury cases.
Along with DJ Weisbrod, Linda heads up the firm’s birth injury intake, screening, and medical literature research team. She personally screens all potential cases to ensure that medical issues have been addressed before we file lawsuits on behalf of birth-injured children and their families.
DJ Weisbrod
Before joining Miller Weisbrod, DJ practiced as a surgical nurse in various hospital and operative settings. She has been with the firm over 30 years.
DJ directs Miller Weisbrod’s birth injury intake and medical screening team. She has also served as firm founder Les Weisbrod’s trial nurse for all cases involving medical negligence and birth injury.
Linda Cuaderes
Linda Cuaderes is both a registered nurse and a licensed lawyer. Linda works exclusively in Miller Weisbrod’s Birth Injury and Medical Malpractice section. Linda acts as the firm’s patient advocate and liaison with our young clients and their parents.
Linda combines her legal and nursing experience along with her exceptional organizational talent and attention to detail to make sure each child we represent is provided the highest level of medical care and attendant care during the pendency of their case. Linda communicates with our parent clients regularly to monitor their birth injured child’s treatment, provide guidance as to additional care and therapies and when necessary assist them in obtaining specialized medical providers.
Linda was raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Honors at the University of Oklahoma. She started as an Oncology Nurse at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City, quickly becoming the Assistant Head Nurse of the Outpatient Endoscopy Unit. Linda then entered the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Following graduation, Linda joined Les Weisbrod in the Medical Malpractice Section. After taking time off to raise her three lovely children, Linda returned to Miller Weisbrod and her passion of holding healthcare providers accountable for preventable errors. Linda is active in the American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Texas Bar Association. Linda is an active member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group and Medical Negligence Section of the American Association for Justice.
She is admitted to practice before the Texas Supreme Court and routinely works on cases pending throughout the United States. Linda has worked with child victims of birth injury, their parents and other victims of medical malpractice in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Iowa, Ohio, New York, Alabama, Georgia, Arizona, Utah and Missouri.
Education
- University of Oklahoma - School of Law, 1990, J.D. - Norman, Oklahoma
- University of Oklahoma - School of Nursing, 1985 - Norman, Oklahoma
Areas of Practice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
- Medical Malpractice
Associations & Memberships
- Texas Bar Association
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Kristin Jones
Kristin combines her medical and legal training to provide invaluable, passionate service to parents struggling to care for their birth-injured children.
Families often have questions as they go through the birth injury lawsuit process. Kristin diligently identifies and investigates all medical issues so the birth injury attorneys at Miller Weisbrod can answer those questions Kristin ensures that our birth injured children’s medical records are thoroughly reviewed and organized. Miller Weisbrod’s birth trauma litigation attorneys and medical experts retained by the firm need her services while pursuing justice for our clients.
Kelly Kunkel
Kelly Kunkel was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She has 15 years’ experience in hospital based High Risk Obstetrics and Labor and Delivery bedside nursing care. Kelly graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from El Centro College in December of 1990 and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from West Texas A & M University in 2008; graduating with honors.
In addition, Kelly has over 25 years’ experience in medical malpractice case management and litigation and has worked with David Olesky for over 22 years. After many years of assisting in defending healthcare providers and hospital systems in medical malpractice cases involving complex litigation matters related to birth injury, catastrophic injury and death, Kelly has proudly joined David Olesky in the national birth injury and medical negligence practice at Miller Weisbrod Olesky.
Why Should You Talk with the Knowledgeable Attorneys at Miller Weisbrod Olesky?
The only way to find out if you have a birth injury case is to talk to a lawyer experienced in birth injury lawsuits. It’s not uncommon that a birth related complication results in a preventable birth injury, including cerebral palsy, but it takes a detailed expert review by a birth injury attorney of the medical records from your child’s birth to determine if the birth injury was the result of medical malpractice.
At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, a team of committed lawyers, nurses and paralegals uses our detailed medical negligence case review process to assess your child’s potential birth injury case. We start by learning more about you and your child and the status of meeting/missing developmental milestones. Then we gather medical records to determine what happened before, during, and after your delivery. We call in skilled medical experts who review your records and let us know if they think medical errors could have caused your child’s injuries.
If we feel medical negligence caused or contributed to your child’s injuries, we meet with you to discuss how you can receive compensation from the medical professionals who made the errors. Our birth injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in settlements for families of children that have suffered a birth injury.
At no point in our legal intake process will we ask you to pay anything. The medical review of your case and the consultation are free. We only receive payment when you do.
Contact Our National Birth Injury Lawyers
Our Birth Injury Attorneys
Les Weisbrod
Les Weisbrod has been on the cutting edge of the national birth injury litigation scene for almost 40 years.
As a national birth injury attorney, Les has settled over 204 medical negligence cases for more than $1,000,000. He also obtained settlements in 75 birth injury cases for over $1,000,000 each.
His $31 million verdict against Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas was one of the top 100 verdicts in the United States that given year.
Les is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the top plaintiff’s medical malpractice trial lawyers in the United States. But the recoveries for the clients and the differences made in the lives of the children and families Les has represented tell only part of the story.
Les has worked with his law partner Clay Miller for years to build a one-of-a-kind law firm.
Miller Weisbrod Olesky provides unique and unparalleled services to families of birth-injured and brain-injured children from the moment the firm decides to take the case.
The registered nurses and registered nurse-attorneys on staff are valuable team members who assist Miller Weisbrod birth-injury clients. Les has designed a system where each birth injured child is assigned a nurse-attorney liaison to guide them through the process of medical treatment/evaluation, therapies, home assistance, and quality of life improvement.
Miller Weisbrod’s unmatched service allows families to better cope with the immediate challenges facing our young clients.
Birth-injured children and their families are Les and Miller Weisbrod’s priority.
Les and the attorneys at Miller Weisbrod fight for the justice their clients are entitled to under our nation’s system of justice.
This fighting spirit has taken Les across the United States to represent clients in birth injury and medical negligence cases. In fact, he has personally handled cases not only in Texas but also in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah, Iowa, Ohio, Oregon, Montana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and New York.
Les and Miller Weisbrod continue to expand their reach of helping brain-injured children to new states each year as we strive to bring a sense of justice to each affected family. And Les is not the only one who notices he fights for his clients.
Michael Rustad, a Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston who has done extensive research on punitive damage awards, says,
“Les Weisbrod has obtained more medical malpractice punitive damage jury verdicts for his clients than any other attorney in the United States.”
Also, a well-known defense medical malpractice attorney dubbed Les Weisbrod the “pitbull” of the Texas medical malpractice bar in a media profile of Les published by a major newspaper.
Les shares his experience and knowledge to improve the representation of all birth-injured children and their families.
In the early 1990s, Les recognized that a more focused effort needed to be made to educate attorneys who handle birth injury cases. As a result, Les was the founding Co-Chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Birth Trauma Litigation Group in 1991. He also was a founding Co-Chair of AAJ’s Medical Negligence Litigation Group in 1999 and served as Chair of AAJ’s Professional Negligence Section in 1996.
Combined, these groups have put on more than a hundred continuing education seminars across the United States. helping to educate other attorneys by bringing in world-renowned experts in the fields of:
- labor and delivery
- neonatal care
- the care and treatment of birth-injured children, including those suffering from cerebral palsy and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
Education and professional experiences back up his dedication to helping children and families harmed by medical malpractice.
Les received his B.A. magna cum laude in 1975 from Claremont Men’s College and his J.D. in 1978 from Southern Methodist University Law School.
He is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law.
Les was a past president of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association in 1993. He has been a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors since 1990.
His work with the American Association for Justice (AAJ) (formerly ATLA) includes serving as President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian. Mr. Weisbrod has also served on the AAJ Board of Governors since 1998 and the 17-member Executive Committee of AAJ since 2001. In 1990, he was chosen as a Rising Star of the ATLA and presented a paper entitled “Dirt and Greed: A New Look at Medical Malpractice Cases.”
Les has written and lectured extensively on birth injury litigation, medical malpractice, and medical product topics.
Les is a contributing author to the 1996 text Operative Obstetrics published by Williams & Wilkins. He also co-authored the “Drugs & Medical Devices” chapter in AAJ’s Litigating Tort Cases.
He also has lectured to lawyer groups across the U.S., Canada, England, and Australia.
Education
- Southern Methodist University - School of Law, J.D. - Dallas, Texas, 1978
- Claremont Men's College - B.A. - Claremont, California, 1975
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
- Products Liability
- Personal Injury
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- National Association Of Distinguished Counsel
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- American Association for Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
- Pan-European Organization of Personal Injury Lawyers
- American Society of Law and Medicine
- Consumer Attorneys of California
- Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association
- Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas and American Bar Associations
- ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates)
Clay Miller
Clay is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Clay has practiced solely in the field of catastrophic injury and wrongful death since graduating from law school. His practice has been limited to the representation of victims. Over the past twenty-four years, Clay has successfully settled or tried to verdict cases in the areas of vehicular negligence, medical malpractice, construction site accidents, workplace injury, premises liability, and commercial trucking and a nationwide business loss case (suits filed in a dozen different states) involving defective truck engines sold to trucking companies.
Clay represented dozens of trucking companies in lost profit and diminished value claims against Caterpillar in 2010 through 2012. These cases were filed in over a dozen states with the bellwhether trial set in Federal Court in Davenport, Iowa. After intense litigation and trial preparation, a global confidential settlement was reached for all the clients.
Clay's most recent 2017 victories are a $30,800,000 jury verdict in Tennessee arising from fraud claims in the sale of heavy-duty truck engines and a $26,500,000 jury verdict in a construction accident, obtained within 60 days of each other.
Clay was raised in Lewisville, Texas and completed his undergraduate degree in Finance at
Texas A & M University. Following graduation from Southern Methodist University School of law, Clay worked for two Dallas firms representing victims. In 1998, Clay began his own practice before forming his current partnership. In addition to his law practice, Clay has lectured at seminars and published in the areas of construction accidents, jury selection techniques, medical negligence, trucking accidents and settlement tactics.
He is active in local and statewide trial lawyers' associations including serving as the Chair of the Advocates for the Texas Trial Lawyers' Association in 2002 and remains on the Board of Directors. Clay served as President of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association from 2008-2009. He has also been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2014.
Education
- Southern Methodist University School of Law - Dallas, Texas
- Texas A&M University - Finance - College Station, Texas
Areas of Practice
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of New Mexico
- State Bar of Colorado
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers’ Association
- American Association of Justice
David Olesky
David Olesky is Vice Chair of the Health Care Professional Liability practice. David is a trial lawyer focusing his practice on complex litigation matters that involve defending and protecting clients in all types of cases related to catastrophic injuries or death, but with a special focus on birth injury cases. David regularly advises his health care clients on the issues and challenges that they face on a daily basis. Clients repeatedly look to him for guidance to handle such high stakes cases and matters in Texas and jurisdictions outside of Texas.
David has earned the trust and reliance of clients he has worked with by consistently getting the results that matter most to them, whether that is a win at trial or a favorable outcome through alternative dispute resolution outside the courthouse. Through his representation, David demonstrates a true loyalty and hardworking commitment to the clients that he serves.
David believes the foundation of any client relationship is to act as a trusted advisor instead of simply as a litigator. Clients value his earnest representation of their business interests, accompanied by a devotion to understanding their businesses, prompt attention to their immediate needs and the challenges they face in their individual roles.
Education
- Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D., 1992 - Dallas, Texas
- University of Texas, B.B.A, 1989 - Austin, Texas
Areas of Practice
Associations & Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Foundation Fellow
- Texas Bar Association
Alexandra V. Boone
Alexandra Boone is a partner in Miller Weisbrod. She concentrates her legal practice in the area of birth injury, medical malpractice and mass tort products liability. Alex currently works directly with firm partner Les Weisbrod in managing the birth injury docket and working with the firm’s highly qualified expert witnesses in the review of potential cases. Alex also litigates her own docket of medical negligence cases.
Over the course of her 17 years with the firm, Alex has focused on the administration and prosecution of mass tort litigation, originally focusing on occupational toxins, but more recently in the area of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In the past, she has actively pursed cases involving hormone therapy, Vioxx, Fosamax, and Reglan. Alex was also instrumental in our firm successfully resolving thousands of cases transvaginal mesh, hip prosthetics, and the blood thinner Xarelto. She is actively prosecuting over 1,000 cases.
In addition to being a member of the Texas bar, she is also licensed in Oklahoma and is a member of the American Association of Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Oklahoma Association of Justice and the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association.
Education
- Baylor University - School of Law, 1996, J.D. - Waco, Texas
Areas of Practice
- Products Liability
- Mass Tort
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Oklahoma Association of Justice
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Pro Bono Activities
- East Texas Legal Services/Nix Law Firm Pro Bono Project, 1996 - 1997
Robert Wolf
Robert E. Wolf was born in Dallas, Texas and graduated Magna Cum Laude as a proud horned frog from Texas Christian University in 1997, with Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board. He obtained his law degree from Southern Methodist University in 2000 while serving as an Articles Editor for the International Law Review and winning awards at Mock Trial and Appellate competitions.
Robert has been named a Thomson Reuters | Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star (less than 2.5% of attorneys in Texas receive this distinction) in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Further, Robert was recognized as a National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 attorney for Texas in 2012 (no more than 40 attorneys in Texas are eligible for this award annually).
Robert brought his passion for and over 14 years of experience of representing seriously injured individuals and their families to Miller Weisbrod in January 2015, and has concentrated his legal practice in the area of medical malpractice, products liability, and pharmaceutical/mass tort litigation. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and Dallas Trial Lawyers Association.
In addition to many successful jury verdicts and settlements across Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Idaho, Robert’s role as an attorney representing victims and their families has led to numerous changes to key safety practices and policies and procedures at corporations and medical facilities.
Robert and his wife Suzy also get plenty of exercise trying to keep up with their precious and very active daughter.
Education
- Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law, J.D. - 2000 - Dallas, Texas
- Texas Christian University - B.S. Political Science - 1997 - Fort Worth, Texas
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Products Liability
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Carrie Vine
Carrie Lynn Vine has over 15 years of experience in medical malpractice litigation, with a particular focus in representing children and families who have suffered birth injuries as a result of the negligence of either doctors, nurses or hospitals.
She is a passionate advocate for her clients and has handled hundreds of birth injury and birth trauma cases throughout the United States. As part of Carrie’s national birth injury legal practice, she has handled cases in Texas, Arkansas, California, Nevada, Kentucky, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and North Dakota. She is determined to seek justice and works to obtain fair compensation for the children and families she represents.
Carrie earned her law degree from Northern Illinois University where she tutored other law students. Prior to law school, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in Biomedical and Biological Science, and earned both a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University in Anthropological Genetics. She then conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Michigan Medical School before deciding to attend law school. She applies an academic mindset and love of science and medicine to mastering the medical principles and literature relevant to the cases she pursues.
Carrie is an active member of the American Association of Justice as well as the Birth Trauma Litigation Group (BLTG).
Education
- Northern Illinois University:
Law School
- University of Notre Dame:
Biomedical Science
- Pennsylvania State University:
Anthropological Genetics
Areas of Practice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
- Medical Malpractice
Associations & Memberships
- American Association of Justice:
Member
- Birth Trauma Litigation Group:
Member
Larry Lassiter
Lawrence R. Lassiter is an AV-rated attorney with more than twenty years of experience in appellate and trial advocacy. He has been consulted by attorneys across the country to conduct research, evaluate cases, prepare appellate and trial briefs, and formulate litigation strategy. He has prepared hundreds of appellate briefs in federal and state appellate courts, including the highest courts of Texas, West Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio, Nebraska and Tennessee, and he is member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. Larry has a national appellate and legal briefing practice. Larry has filed extensive briefs and/or argued before either state or federal courts in 30 out of 50 states in his career.
Larry assists the Birth Injury team in all aspects of legal briefing. Unlike many other birth injury firms across the United States, Miller Weisbrod has an attorney dedicated to handling legal briefing on behalf of our clients across the country. Larry has handled extensive briefing in birth injury and other medical malpractice cases in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, New York, Utah, Arizona, Louisiana and West Virginia.
Since joining Miller Weisbrod in 2010, Larry has won a number of important victories vindicating the rights of our clients in both state and federal appellate courts, including Vitacost.com, Inc. v. McCants, 210 So.3d 761 (Fla. Ct. App. 2017); TTHR Ltd. Partnership v. Moreno, 401 S.W.3d 41 (Tex. 2013); In re E.B., 729 S.E.2d 271 (W. Va. 2012); Mid-Continent Cas. Co. v. Davis, 683 F.3d 651 (5th Cir. 2012); Rouhani v. Morgan, 2017 WL 3526719 (Tex. App. – Houston [1st Dist.] 2017, no pet.); Mid-Continent Cas. Co. v. Andregg Contracting, Inc., 391 S.W.3d 573 (Tex. App. – Dallas 2012).
He was as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Harlington Wood Jr., Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Larry was a University of Iowa Presidential Scholar and served as Editor in Chief of the Iowa Law Review.
Larry is an active member of the American Association for Justice. He is a member of AAJ’s Birth Injury Litigation Group and Medical Negligence Sections.
Education
- University of Iowa - Political Science & History - B.A. - Iowa City, Iowa
- University of Iowa - School of Law - J.D. - Iowa City, Iowa
Areas of Practice
- Appellate Advocacy
- Medical Malpractice
- Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices
- Products Liability
- Personal Injury
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Laurie Pierce
Laurie draws upon extensive experience in state and federal courts with a focus on complex claims involving medical malpractice cases. After many years of defending health care providers and hospital systems in medical malpractice cases, Laurie joined David Olesky in the national birth injury and medical negligence practice at Miller Weisbrod Olesky.
Laurie’s focus is to understand not only the facts and circumstances of the matter at hand, but to understand the specific needs and goals of the client and their unique business considerations. Her extensive background in commercial litigation provides a foundation that enhances her health care litigation practice. She works with clients that require more than a strong trial lawyer; they expect an attorney who understands the relationship between law and their specific business and who will work tirelessly to protect their rights, interests and bottom line.
Education
- Southern Methodist University:
Dedman School of Law - 1992
- Order of the Coif:
Journal of Air Law and Commerce, J.D. - 1992
- Miami University-Oxford, Ohio
B.S. Education - 1982
Areas of Practice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
- Health Care Industry
- Health Care Litigation
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Medical Malpractice
Associations & Memberships
- American Association for Justice
- American Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Foundation Fellow
- Texas Bar Association
Distinctions
- Admitted to Pro Bono College of State Bar of Texas in 2019 for outstanding delivery of legal services to low-income Texans
Court Admissions
- United States Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Linda Cuaderes
Linda Cuaderes is both a registered nurse and a licensed lawyer. Linda works exclusively in Miller Weisbrod’s Birth Injury and Medical Malpractice section. Linda acts as the firm’s patient advocate and liaison with our young clients and their parents.
Linda combines her legal and nursing experience along with her exceptional organizational talent and attention to detail to make sure each child we represent is provided the highest level of medical care and attendant care during the pendency of their case. Linda communicates with our parent clients regularly to monitor their birth injured child’s treatment, provide guidance as to additional care and therapies and when necessary assist them in obtaining specialized medical providers.
Linda was raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Honors at the University of Oklahoma. She started as an Oncology Nurse at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City, quickly becoming the Assistant Head Nurse of the Outpatient Endoscopy Unit. Linda then entered the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Following graduation, Linda joined Les Weisbrod in the Medical Malpractice Section. After taking time off to raise her three lovely children, Linda returned to Miller Weisbrod and her passion of holding healthcare providers accountable for preventable errors. Linda is active in the American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Texas Bar Association. Linda is an active member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group and Medical Negligence Section of the American Association for Justice.
She is admitted to practice before the Texas Supreme Court and routinely works on cases pending throughout the United States. Linda has worked with child victims of birth injury, their parents and other victims of medical malpractice in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Iowa, Ohio, New York, Alabama, Georgia, Arizona, Utah and Missouri.
Education
- University of Oklahoma - School of Law, 1990, J.D. - Norman, Oklahoma
- University of Oklahoma - School of Nursing, 1985 - Norman, Oklahoma
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
Associations & Memberships
- Texas Bar Association
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Kristin Jones
Kristin combines her medical and legal training to provide invaluable, passionate service to parents struggling to care for their birth-injured children. Families often have questions as they go through the birth injury lawsuit process. Kristin diligently identifies and investigates all medical issues so the birth injury attorneys at Miller Weisbrod can answer those questions. Kristin ensures that our birth injured children’s medical records are thoroughly reviewed and organized. Miller Weisbrod’s birth trauma litigation attorneys and medical experts retained by the firm need her services while pursuing justice for our clients.
Education
- SMU Dedman School of Law - Dallas, Texas
- University of Texas at Arlington - Arlington, Texas
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Matt Adair
Matt Adair is an attorney specializing in medical malpractice, products liability, and pharmaceutical litigation. He received his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. During his time there, he studied abroad at the New College at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
Matt is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and Dallas Trial Lawyers Association.
Education
- University of Notre Dame - Philosophy, B.A. 2012 - Notre Dame, Indiana
- Baylor University - School of Law J.D. 2015 - Waco, Texas
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
- Products Liability
- Pharmaceutical Litigation
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- American Association of Justice
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Garrett Stanford
Garrett Stanford was born in Dallas, Texas and graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2017 with a B.A. in Political Science. After graduation, he attended Baylor University School of Law. During his time at Baylor, he was a member of the Order of the Barristers and he won the Judge W.C. Davis Endowed Criminal Practice Professional Track Award. He obtained his law degree and license to practice law in 2020.
Garrett joined Miller Weisbrod in August 2021. His legal practice is concentrated in the area of birth injury and medical malpractice. Garret is actively involved in handling birth injury and medical malpractice cases in Texas, Ohio, Utah, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Education
- Southern Methodist University - Political Science, B.S. - Dallas, Texas
- University of Baylor - School of Law, J.D. - Waco, Texas
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury/Birth Trauma
Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas