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10 Florida Lawyers to Consider for Birth Injury Cases
06 Nov 2026
Few moments change a family faster than a birth that goes wrong. A baby may need intensive care, long-term therapy, or lifelong support, and parents are left asking whether the injury was an unavoidable complication or the result of a mistake in the delivery room.
Florida adds a twist that many families do not know about. For certain serious brain or spinal cord injuries at birth, a state no-fault plan called NICA, created in 1988, pays benefits regardless of fault. In many cases, those benefits are the family's exclusive remedy, which means the family cannot also sue. A state administrative judge, not a trial court, decides whether an injury qualifies. If a case moves toward a lawsuit, Florida also requires a pre-suit investigation and a formal notice, including a review by a medical expert, before a malpractice suit can be filed.
Because these rules shape the outcome, the legal help you choose matters early. This list looks at ten Florida firms that handle birth injury claims. For each one, you will see where it works, what experience it reports, and what sets its approach apart, so you can compare options and ask better questions.
1. Freidin Brown, P.A.
Birth injury claims often turn on an early question: does the family's case belong in the state's no-fault plan, or in a regular malpractice lawsuit? Families researching that question often look at how Florida birth injury lawyers review a case before anything is filed. Freidin Brown, P.A. says it checks every case for that issue, including whether a hospital gave the legally required NICA notice during pregnancy. The firm works from offices in Miami and Fort Myers and has served clients since 1976.
Its lawyers reconstruct the medical timeline from prenatal care through delivery to show where care fell short and how that caused the injury. The cases it lists include cerebral palsy, HIE, shoulder dystocia, Erb's palsy, kernicterus, and delayed C-sections. Founding partner Philip Freidin has practiced law for 50 years, has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar since 1989, and oversees every case. At least two lawyers join the strategy work on each case, and the team regularly consults with nursing and medical experts.
Philip Freidin, Jonathan Freidin, and Sarah Glasser, with senior paralegal Natalia Diaz, secured a $7.75 million settlement for a child who suffered a devastating brain injury because of a hospital's negligence at birth. The firm also reports more than $500 million recovered for clients. Past results do not predict future outcomes.
Families can request a free, confidential case evaluation. The firm works on a contingency basis, so clients pay no fees or costs up front. Spanish-speaking staff and Zoom meetings are available.
2. Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A.
This firm represents families in birth injury cases, including shoulder dystocia, Erb's palsy, cerebral palsy, and oxygen loss before or during delivery. It works from West Palm Beach, Tampa, and Tallahassee. Its site also explains NICA and what families give up when they accept those benefits, a tradeoff parents should understand before they sign anything.
3. Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath
Based in West Palm Beach, this firm has a birth injury practice and offices across South Florida. It says its staff includes four registered nursing consultants, which helps when a case depends on fetal monitor strips and labor notes. It earned a Tier 1 West Palm Beach ranking for medical malpractice (plaintiffs) in 2026.
4. Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa
This boutique litigation firm has offices in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Pensacola. Its site has separate pages for conditions such as Erb's palsy, shoulder dystocia, and birth-related spinal cord injuries. The firm also works with co-counsel across Florida and the country, which can help in complex cases.
5. Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, P.A.
This firm opened in 1996 and has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. It handles medical malpractice and catastrophic injury, including child injury cases. It earned Tier 1 rankings in both cities for medical malpractice (plaintiffs) in 2026, and its Fort Lauderdale profile says in-house medical staff works with its lawyers.
6. Liberman Cabrera Thompson & Reitman, PLLC
Four lawyers from another Fort Lauderdale firm started this practice in 2019. It lists birth injuries among its core matters and earned Tier 1 Fort Lauderdale rankings in 2026 for both medical malpractice and personal injury litigation (plaintiffs). Founding partner Scott Liberman had spent nearly 30 years in medical malpractice work before the move.
7. Edwards & Ragatz, P.A.
This Jacksonville firm handles medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases in Florida and Georgia. Named partners Thomas Edwards Jr. and Eric Ragatz appear in birth injury listings for the Jacksonville area. The firm earned a Tier 1 Jacksonville ranking in 2026 and says it prepares every case for a jury.
8. Maney Gordon Trial Lawyers
This Tampa firm lists birth injuries among its medical malpractice matters and earned a Tier 1 Tampa ranking in 2026. Managing partner Jack Gordon is board certified in medical malpractice law by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. His profile says other lawyers send the firm many of its cases.
9. Colson Hicks Eidson
This Coral Gables trial firm says it handles major medical malpractice cases, including birth injuries. It earned a Tier 1 Miami ranking for medical malpractice (plaintiffs) in 2026. Its site also offers parent guides on birth injuries and on suing for an injured infant, a useful starting point before a first call.
10. Colling Gilbert Wright (The Florida Firm)
Stewart Colling, Ronald Gilbert, and Melvin Wright started this Orlando firm in 2005. Gilbert has focused on medical malpractice since 1986, and several firm lawyers appear in Orlando birth injury listings. The firm held a Tier 2 Orlando ranking in 2026 and offers free consultations, including virtual appointments.
Questions to Ask Before You Decide
Choosing a birth injury lawyer is an important decision, and finding the right fit starts with understanding your child's needs and your family's priorities. Before hiring a firm, ask about its experience handling birth injury cases, how it determines whether a claim falls under Florida's NICA program, and how it covers the costs of medical experts and life care planning. You should also verify the lawyer's license and disciplinary history. Because these claims are subject to strict deadlines, it's best to seek legal guidance as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep your medical records, bills, and notes from pregnancy and delivery organized to help the lawyer evaluate your case.
