Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (CP)
The birth of a child should be a joyous occasion for parents. Unfortunately, there are times when the error or negligence of a medical professional may result in a permanent birth injury. Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (CP) is one type of injury that can be caused by mistakes made before, during, or shortly after your child's birth. The underlying cause of this condition is damage to the basal ganglia or cerebellum areas of the brain.
Children living with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy struggle with a wide range of challenges, including involuntary movements, problems with motor control, and developmental delays. These challenges that children who live with this condition face often require life-long treatment and therapy. If you believe that your child's Dyskinetic CP was caused by medical negligence, you may be able to hold a careless healthcare professional accountable by filing a Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Lawsuit that provides your child with needed care for their lifetime.
At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, our Birth Injury Lawyers have extensive experience working with families to determine if their child's Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy resulted from the preventable and negligent actions of a doctor or another healthcare provider. Every medical malpractice case we file goes through a meticulous intake and screening process to ensure families the best chances of success.
Our in-house staff of registered nurses and nurse attorneys work closely with the rest of our team to review your case in detail and investigate how your child's birth injury resulting in Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy occurred and whether it was caused by a medical professional who breached their duty of care. Let us help you recover the compensation you need for your child's medical care, therapy, and other Cerebral Palsy-related expenses.
Recent Birth Injury Settlement:
Birth Injury settlement against a hospital in which nurses and physicians failed to properly monitor the mother's blood pressure during delivery causing an HIE event resulting in neonatal seizures and cerebral palsy at birth. Our national birth injury lawyers recovered $13,750,000 for the family to help with future medical expenses and developmental therapy.
With the recovery that Miller Weisbrod made for our son, I feel like our voice was heard in a sense of what can possibly go wrong in a delivery and finding us answers. I feel with our settlement, we are now in a comfortable position to provide for our son. Things are different because he's able to be in his own space. He's developing well. He is starting to speak a little bit more and live a bit more independently. He is also in school full-time and he gets help from his nurse aid that helps him with all his appointments, all his therapy. Pretty much, I feel like it kind of helped us in a good way. I feel like they care about your personal needs and how to make you comfortable in any situation.
Lyric, C.
Mother of
Miller Weisbrod Olesky Client
What is Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (CP)?
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy is the second most common form of cerebral palsy caused by brain injury to the cerebellum or basal ganglia. The basal ganglia part of the brain controls the signals for movement that travel to and from the brain and the spinal cord. The primary function of the cerebellum is controlling motor function and muscle tone. This condition is characterized by three different muscle movement disorders, each expressing some but not all of the same symptoms.
The three Types of Dyskinetic CP Movement Disorders are:
- Athetosis: This type of movement disorder causes slow curling movements and twitching. A child with this subtype of Dyskinetic CP may experience slow, involuntary twisting or writing in their hands, arms, feet, legs, and neck, even at rest. Some additional symptoms of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy include floppy muscles, stiff muscles, facial muscle issues, fine motor problems, and problems with eating, drinking, or talking. Athetoid CP is a very damaging type of Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy that requires families to constantly change how they care for and treat their child’s symptoms.
- Dystonia: The primary characteristic of this subtype of Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy is an involuntary contraction of the muscles that usually occurs when movement is attempted. Although these contractions can occur throughout the body, they most commonly occur in the hands and feet. When the affected individual attempts a controlled movement, the muscle contractions cause slow and repetitive twisting and writhing. Some other Signs of Cervical Dystonia include issues with posture and spurts of erratic and jerky movements. Symptoms may worsen when a person becomes upset, stressed, or emotional.
- Chorea: Chorea is identified by jerky, quick, and unpredictable movements that can appear almost rhythmic. In its mild form, a person might look fidgety or clumsy. Those with more severe chorea can display wild and violent movements. Speech and swallowing can also be affected by chorea.
Symptoms of Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy can make it difficult for an individual living with this condition to walk, work with their hands, or sit still. Over a few hours or days, the muscle tone of a person with Dyskinetic CP can change drastically and unpredictably from rigid to floppy.
Although certain symptoms of Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy may be apparent at birth, there are instances where they may not fully become apparent until the child gets older. When it comes to providing children with Dyskinetic CP the care they need, time is of the essence, and securing the compensation you need can help you afford your child's dyskinetic cerebral palsy treatment costs. Our birth injury attorneys can assist you in holding negligent healthcare providers responsible and recover monetary compensation sooner.
Common Causes of Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
When damage to the brain's basal ganglia or cerebellum occurs, it impairs the brain's ability to send and receive messages from the muscles. The result is an inability to coordinate and control movements. Although there are numerous Dyskinetic CP causes that can contribute to the development of cerebral palsy, medical errors that happen before birth, during birth, or delivery are some of the most common.
Some common medical mistakes that can lead to cerebral palsy include:
- Delaying an emergency c-section.
- Medical errors made during surgery or with anesthesia.
- Negligent use of forceps or vacuum extraction tools.
- Not diagnosing or treating jaundice in a newborn quickly enough.
- Allowing maternal infections and conditions to go undiagnosed or untreated.
- Failing to schedule a planned C-section.
- Failing to monitor the mother and child during labor or delivery properly.
- Failing to properly interpret electronic fetal monitoring during labor and delivery.
- Failing to identify and treat umbilical cord prolapse and rupture, which can cause a lack of oxygen at birth.
- Failing to obtain informed consent from the mother and ensure she understands the procedures and associated risks of treatment.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) caused by failure to prevent premature birth.
- A lack of communication between doctors and nurses that leads to incorrect or omitted instructions.
- Failing to provide postpartum care or providing inadequate care
While determining the cause of Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy can be difficult at times, our Birth Injury Attorneys will work with you to gain a better understanding of your child's condition. If we discover that medical negligence was to blame, your family may be able to pursue a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit against reckless healthcare providers and hospitals. You deserve answers to this serious medical condition affecting your child.
Who Is Liable for Medical Errors Causing Cerebral Palsy?
Physicians and other medical providers who care for a woman during her pregnancy, labor, and delivery are expected to provide treatments that uphold a proper standard of care to prevent medical errors. In a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit, there might be several healthcare professionals or entities who may be held responsible for a brain injury that resulted in cerebral palsy.
However, determining the origins of the disorder can be challenging. Working with an experienced Birth Injury Lawyer who can identify all responsible parties can help ensure you receive full and fair compensation for your losses.
The following parties may be held liable in a birth injury claim:
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialists
- Obstetricians (OB-GYN)
- Neonatologists or Pediatricians providing neonatal care
- Nurses and physician assistants during labor or neonatal care
- Anesthesiologists during labor or neonatal resuscitation
- Hospitals or medical facilities
- Other healthcare providers
A hospital can be held vicariously liable for the negligent actions of its employees. Hospitals are responsible for ensuring the medical professionals they hire have the proper training, education, and licensing. To determine if a doctor or other healthcare professional violated the expected standard of care, our Medical Malpractice Attorneys will work alongside medical experts to review you and your child’s medical records and other relevant evidence to establish what and who might have caused your child's birth injury.
Proving Medical Negligence in a Birth Injury Case
Sometimes, it is easier for us to accept that a condition beyond our control caused our baby's birth injury than to consider that a doctor may be responsible. To successfully file a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit, you (the plaintiff) must be able to prove that a healthcare provider or hospital (the defendant) acted negligently and caused your child's injuries.
As the plaintiff, you will have the burden of presenting evidence to prove the existence of the following four legal elements:
- Duty of Care: You must be able to prove that at the time of the birth injury, a doctor-patient relationship existed. This relationship creates a specific standard of care for a medical professional or hospital to uphold.
- The Defendant Breached Their Duty: The medical professional or hospital either carelessly or knowingly failed to administer care according to certain standards recognized as reasonable according to their training, education, and specialty.
- The Breach of that Duty Contributed to the Birth Injury: The healthcare provider's negligence directly caused or significantly contributed to the plaintiff's birth injury.
- The Injury Resulted in Physical and Emotional Damages: The plaintiff's damages (medical expenses, the cost of future treatment, emotional pain, and suffering) occurred as a result of the medical professional's negligence.
If you file a lawsuit against a negligent doctor, hospital, or other healthcare provider, your lawyer must obtain clear and convincing evidence to build the strongest case possible on your behalf. Medical malpractice cases are notoriously complex and often require a skilled medical malpractice attorney to evaluate your situation and determine the types of evidence you may need to prove your claim.
The following are common examples of evidence in birth injury cases:
- The mother and infant's medical records
- Photographs or video footage
- Statements from medical experts
- Testimony from anyone who witnessed or was involved in the delivery process
- The healthcare provider's employment and disciplinary records
- Documentation of the child's current and future medical expenses
- Journal entries detailing the child's challenges, pain, and emotional distress
A Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Attorney can investigate your case in consultation with a medical expert and collect evidence that proves your child was affected by the negligent actions of a healthcare professional or hospital. If your child has suffered a birth injury due to a healthcare provider's negligence, you are entitled to pursue the financial compensation you need to cover the cost of your child’s medical care now and possibly for their lifetime. Our Cerebral Palsy Lawyers understand the nuances of medical malpractice law and offer a unique level of insight and experience to prove your claim and support you through this difficult time.
Recoverable Damages for a Cerebral Palsy Malpractice Claim
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy is a permanent type of birth injury that can affect a child for the rest of their life. Additionally, caring for a person with Dyskinetic CP can be expensive and put a financial strain on victims and their families. If you believe that your child suffered a birth injury that was the result of a medical error, filing a lawsuit against the negligent healthcare provider can help you recover compensation for the cost of your child's medical expenses and treatment.
There are a variety of damages for which families may seek compensation. These include:
- Medical costs (past and future)
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs
- The cost of assistive devices
- Specialized schooling
- Reimbursement for home and vehicle accommodations
- Nursing care
- Physical pain and mental anguish
- Physical Impairment and Disability
- Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy
- Surgery costs
- Loss of wages for parents or caregivers
- Attendant and Home Health care
When a doctor or other healthcare provider intentionally harms a patient through deliberate actions or actions carried out with a conscious disregard for their patient’s health and safety, the patient may be able to seek punitive damages for resulting injuries and losses. Punitive damages, also known as exemplary damages, are awarded in addition to compensatory damages and are designed to punish the defendant whose conduct is considered grossly negligent and discourage others from future similar conduct.
Compensation for your child's treatment, therapy, and other accident-related costs can help ease your family's financial burdens. For more information about damages, talk to a Birth Injury Lawyer who can assess the details of your case and help you determine and pursue the total cost of your losses.
Statute of Limitations for a Birth Injury Case
Statutes of limitations (SOLs) in birth injury cases are a set of laws in each state that specify how long a victim (the plaintiff) has to file a lawsuit against a negligent healthcare provider or hospital. Each state sets its deadlines for Medical Malpractice Cases, and you must file your claim within your state's deadline to avoid losing your right to sue for cerebral palsy and pursue compensation. However, there are certain exceptions to consider. Our Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Attorneys can determine what exact statute of limitations apply to your child’s birth injury and dyskinetic cerebral palsy case.
For instance, although the statute of limitations is designed to start on the date of the incident, there are some cases where a child suffering from Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy may not be diagnosed for years after birth. In these cases, the statute of limitations may be extended when the victims discover or reasonably should have discovered the injury. With so much uncertainty concerning the amount of time available in your case, you should consider working with a Birth Injury Malpractice Attorney who can ensure your case is filed on time and prevent the untimely dismissal of your claim.
Get Help from Our Experienced Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Lawyers
As a nationally recognized birth injury law firm, we have a passion for improving the lives of children with birth injuries and their families We have successfully represented the families of children with birth injuries resulting from medical malpractice in over 20 states and obtained multi-million dollar results.
Throughout the legal process, we will take the stress of filing and handling every aspect of your case off your shoulders. Our team of registered nurses and nurse attorneys will also work directly with you to answer any questions you have and provide the emotional support you need.
We represent all types of cerebral palsy, including:
- Spastic Cerebral Palsy
- Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
- Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
- Mixed Cerebral Palsy
At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, we only receive payment if we can recover compensation for you. We also offer free, no-obligation case evaluations to all potential clients. Contact us to set up an initial consultation with one of our Cerebral Palsy Lawyers by calling our toll-free line at (888) 987-0005 or filling out our convenient online form below.
Contact Miller Weisbrod Olesky Today
Meet 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
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.