Physical Therapy For Birth Injured Children
Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy or other birth injuries often experience multiple motor function disorders that affect the child’s muscle tone, muscle coordination, body movement, functional strength, balance, and posture. These disorders result in the child’s dependence on others to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).
Physical therapy (PT) plays an important role in the management of birth injuries. Almost all children diagnosed with cerebral palsy should receive physical therapy to improve motor skills and achieve more physical independence. Starting physical therapy as early as possible is likely to increase the chances of improvement in the child’s condition.
Physical therapists use a number of proven therapeutic interventions to enhance the strength, coordination and autonomy of voluntary body movements. According to researchers, physical therapy may also have a key role to play in triggering neuroplastic changes (brain rewiring) in the damaged neural networks that could eventually alter the natural history of motor function disorders.
At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, We Help You and Your Child Find Help NOW!
The ability to receive physical therapy is one of the overriding goals of the birth injury attorneys at Miller Weisbrod Olesky. Money settlements will provide resources for the highest and most specialized levels of therapy, including physical therapy, can be provided your child. Our experience over the last 35 plus years of helping birth injured children and their families has convinced us that regular physical therapy throughout childhood and into adulthood provides the best chance of our young clients to reach the highest possible level of independent living.
Staffed with a team of nurses and nurse attorneys, we begin the therapy process as soon as possible even if your child’s lawsuit has not been settled. Learn about our Miller Weisbrod Olesky nurses and our liaison program that ensures your child gets help NOW so they can begin the process of maximizing their physical therapy results.
How does Physical Therapy Benefit Children with CP or Other Birth Injuries?
Physical therapy provides benefits ranging from muscle strengthening to improving mobility, balance and posture to preventing future health concerns, such as joint dislocations and muscle contractures. Many children with cerebral palsy or other birth injuries are able to achieve an increased level of self-reliance and other quality of life improvements through physical therapy.
Some of the key benefits of physical therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy and other birth injuries include:
- Increased independence
- Building of muscle tone and lowered risk of muscle atrophy
- Improved ability to overcome physical obstacles
- Increased flexibility
- Expansion of range of motion
- Improved balance, posture, and gait
- Increased endurance and reduction in pain & discomfort
- Reduced risk of bone deformity and loss of joint function
- Greater ability to use adaptive or assistive devices
Physical therapists may also tailor therapeutic interventions based on the location of movement problems. In children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy or other birth injuries, movement issues may be limited to the legs (diplegia), one side of the body (hemiplegia), or both the arms, legs and torso (quadriplegia).
Special exercises and physical routines prescribed for these targeted conditions can help your child regain movement in the affected location over time. According to a research study, physical therapy may also be effective in upper extremity training (to improve the movement, coordination and reflexes of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder).
Conditions Associated with CP where Physical Therapy can Help
Children with cerebral palsy often experience a wide range of other conditions where physical therapy can help in alleviating the symptoms. These include:
- Deformities of the hand and wrist: Abnormal flexing of the wrist and hand, which hinders the development of fine motor skills
- Deformities of the knee: Abnormally bent or straight knees may occur because of pelvic deformities
- Pelvic obliquity: Misalignment of the pelvis, where one hip is higher than the other
- Pelvic rotation: One side of the pelvis is further forward than the other
- Pelvic inclination: A protrusion of the pelvis, which could occur in the rear or front
- Lumbar lordosis: Unusually large, inward arch on the lower spine causing lower back pain
- Thoracic kyphosis: An excessive curvature of the upper spine, which bends it forward
- Scoliosis: An abnormal lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine, occurring in up to one in three children with CP
- Shortened Achilles tendon: A shortened or shrunken tendon, which causes impairment of standing and walking functions
Physical Therpay by Age
Physical therapy strategies must be tailored according to the child’s age and condition. The physical therapist will adapt and adjust the therapeutic interventions at different stages of development. In the early development stages, such as when the child is a toddler or in their early school years, it is usually possible to achieve maximum impact.
Physical Therapy from Birth to Age 4 (Early Years)
In the child’s early years, the physical therapist will focus on movement development and provide hands-on training to the caregivers for movement, positioning, feeding, and play. They will recommend changes at home to facilitate the child’s movement development and play skills.
The physical therapist will create an individualized plan for fun and play activities tailored to the child’s unique needs. The activities will be designed to improve movement, muscle strength and motor function. At this stage, the physical therapy is usually administered at home, at an outpatient facility, or a day care center.
Physical Therapy from Ages 5 to 18 (School Years)
In the child’s school years, the physical therapist will provide training to the caregivers to enable the child with cerebral palsy to accomplish functional goals. Preschool and school years pose challenges for the child because they will have to adapt to new settings every year. Physical therapy and assistive equipment (such as braces) will have to be carefully adjusted to match with the child’s growth spurts during the early school years.
Physical therapy may be provided to the child at the school or in the community or a combination of the two. School-based PT is designed to promote changes that provide the best possible learning environment to the child. Physical therapy for adolescents with cerebral palsy focuses on combating joint mobility limitations and prevention of posture problems. The therapist will also help the child manage pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints.
Developing and maintaining a personal fitness and exercise program at this stage can help improve the health and function of the child with CP for a lifetime. In addition, a physical therapist may recommend the child’s participation in sports activities, such as swimming, bowling, cycling, tennis, basketball, or volleyball to promote physical fitness.
Physical Therapy from Age 18+ (Adulthood)
Physical therapy for adults with cerebral palsy will usually focus on the following four aspects to help the person lead a fairly functional life as an adult:
- Pain management
- Optimal energy conservation
- Effective use of assistive devices
- Adjusting the environment at home and workplace to increase independence
The physical therapist and the person with CP may form a long-term relationship for best outcomes because the therapist will understand their unique needs as they grow older. One of the common challenges adults with Cerebral Palsy experience is pain in the muscles and joints. The physical therapist can design an individualized exercise plan to help them with pain management, maintain muscle strength, joint flexibility, and keep the inflammation under control.
With consistent support, guidance and supervision from an experienced physical therapist, the adult with CP can continue to lead a more independent life and achieve their personal and professional goals much more effectively.
Qualifications of a Physical Therapist
Physical therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy or other birth injuries should only be performed by a licensed and accredited physical therapist, who may assisted by a trained physical therapy assistant. Many practicing physical therapists have completed their master’s degree in physical therapy or kinesiology (study of the mechanics of body movements), while some may hold a Ph.D. degree.
The PT masters’ degree coursework is extensive and includes studies in anatomy, biology, physiology, kinesiology, physics, chemistry, human growth & development, and specialized therapeutic practices. Physical therapists in most states are required to clear the National Physical Therapy Examination.
Physical therapy assistants usually have a bachelor’s or associate degree covering similar subjects as the physical therapist. The assistants are also required to obtain a license in most states. They may additionally pursue certifications in specialized physical therapies, such as CIMT or aquatics therapy, offered by the American Physical Therapy Association.
Physical therapy may be performed in different settings, depending on the child’s age and their specific needs. Apart from the child’s home, the physical therapy locations may include outpatient clinics and medical offices, specialized physical therapy centers, inpatient rehab centers, hospitals, skilled nursing centers, and special education classrooms.
Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy: Exercises and Techniques
Cerebral Palsy usually results in a variety of disorders related to different motor functions. In some children with CP, only the legs may be affected, while in some others, one side of the body or the full body may be affected. Therefore, different physical therapy exercises, methods, and techniques will be recommended according the child’s specific needs.
MUSCLE
Boosting Strength & Endurance
CARDIO
Raising your heart rate during extended exercise
FLEXABILITY
Keeping the bones & Joints in MotionStretching Exercises
According to the CDC, more than 80% of the individuals with Cerebral Palsy experience spasticity or high muscle tone. The damage to the brain causes disruption of the brain’s motor signals, resulting in involuntary contraction of the muscles. Over time, the muscle tightening may worsen, leading to abnormal movement patterns, limited range of motion, uneven growth, poor posture, and chronic pain.
To counter this condition, physical therapists can train the child and their caregivers to perform stretching exercises that will effectively relax and stretch the affected muscles. Regular stretching will help stabilize and improve muscle tone, reduce strain on the joints and muscles, and increase the range of motion.
Range of Motion Exercises
For a child with severe cerebral palsy, the physical therapist or a trained caregiver will move the affected parts of the body for them, helping them move the muscles and gain motion in the joints. This stimulates circulation and promotes flexibility, even when the child is not exerting energy on their own. For children with better muscle control, the physical therapist will train them to actively practice range of motion exercises.
The PT will also encourage the child to perform range of motion exercises in multiple positions in order to modulate the exercise intensity. For instance, range of motion exercises for shoulder flexion (raising the arm) require the child to use greater muscle strength to fight the gravitational force when they are sitting upright or standing compared to when they are lying on their back.
Strengthening Exercises
Strength training or resistance training is now recognized as one of the most well-researched physical therapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy. Studies have shown that strengthening exercises are safe and are unlikely to cause the spasticity to worsen. Muscle strength can be increased in predictable measures to improve gait, posture, balance, flexibility, and other elements of motor function as long as a correctly designed strength training program is implemented.
Strength and endurance training in most cases must be continued on a regular basis to maintain its benefits. Based on the child’s functional evaluation, the physical therapist will identify the most appropriate muscle strengthening exercises targeting the weak or underutilized muscles. They will guide and supervise the exercise program to ensure that the correct muscles are targeted in a challenging yet safe and controlled manner.
Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)
Scientific evidence indicates that children with hemiplegia can achieve improvements in the functioning of upper limbs with constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). This intensive upper limb training program involves restraining the child’s use of the unaffected arm, which forces them to continuously use only the affected arm for various activities.
The continuous use of the affected arm in this manner helps strengthen the brain’s neural pathways for the functioning of this arm and support adaptive changes. While CIMT is primarily used only for improving the upper limb function, some modified forms of CIMT may also be considered to target improvements in an affected leg.
Gait Training
Research studies have shown that gait training might be the most effective physical therapy approach to improve gait speed in a child with cerebral palsy who is ambulatory. Spasticity in legs causes many children with CP to walk with an abnormal gait. Gait training particularly focuses on improving the child’s walking form or walking speed.
Gait training usually involves the use of assistive devices such as walkers and exercise equipment, such as parallel bars and bodyweight-supporting treadmills. These specialized devices and equipment can help the child practice correct gait patterns without losing stability. The physical therapist may also require the child to wear orthotics (like a leg brace) to gently stretch the contracted muscles and help correct the musculoskeletal alignment.
Aquatic Therapy and Hippotherapy
These are more specialized forms of physical therapy interventions that may be selectively used. Aquatic therapy takes place in a swimming pool. When the child is submerged in water, it gives them a feeling of weightlessness, enabling them to focus on form development without straining their joints. Simply resisting the water pressure can gradually help strengthen the muscles.
Hippotherapy involves placing the child on a horse’s back or applying equine movements aimed at controlling the horse. Horseback riding or hippotherapy can be effective in improving posture, coordination, gait, and balance. Studies have shown that hippotherapy may reduce asymmetrical activity of the child’s hip muscles, resulting in better postural control.
Is Physical Therapy Safe for Children Diagnosed with Birth Injuries?
While pediatric physical therapists and physical therapy assistants are trained and experienced to minimize the occurrence of unforeseen incidents, risks, and complications associated with the therapy cannot be entirely ruled out. The key to safety lies in open communication between the physical therapist, the caregiver, and the child. A careful physical therapist will adopt a restorative treatment approach and will never over-work the child.
Physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy or other birth injuries involves working on body parts that are inherently weak or sensitive. This can cause some temporary soreness, redness, and tiredness in those areas, which will resolve on its own. Based on this, if the symptoms seem unusual or beyond the child’s tolerance, the therapist should stop the treatment and reassess if the ongoing program is causing the child’s condition to worsen.
Is Your Child’s Cerebral Palsy or other Birth Injury Related Complication the Result of Medical Malpractice?
Parents whose children suffer from cerebral palsy or other birth injury related complications should receive answers as to how their child suffered this injury and whether their lifelong challenges were avoidable.
Were there signs during the pregnancy, labor and delivery process that birth related complications were occurring, but a timely and correct diagnosis, correct treatment, or an emergency c-section were either delayed or not performed at all causing to a birth injury? Were signs of fetal distress on the fetal monitoring strips that the labor and delivery nurses and obstetrician failed to recognize and respond to appropriately? Was a neonatal resuscitation not called to the birth when indicated? Should cooling (also called “hypothermia therapy”) have been provided to your baby, but the standard of care tests were not done or the results were not acted upon appropriately?
Our dedicated birth injury lawyers can assist in discovering answers to many of these often asked questions when a birth injury due to medical malpractice is suspected With an experienced birth injury attorney from Miller Weisbrod Olesky you can recover medical malpractice settlement that will help provide a broad spectrum of specialized physical therapy that can help maximize the independence of your child throughout their life. A birth injury settlement will substantially increase the quality of life and care for your child.
If your child has been diagnosed with a birth injury (including Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) or cerebral palsy), and you believe this may have been caused in part by mistakes of the doctors, nurses or hospital employees, Miller Weisbrod Olesky will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your case and hold responsible the at fault medical providers by prosecuting a medical malpractice lawsuit against them. The recoveries our clients receive helps them pay for their child’s current and future occupational therapy, and specialized treatment to help their child cope while living with a permanent disability, and to be able to pay for cutting-edge devices that increase a child’s quality of life.
Sometimes families are reluctant to contact a medical malpractice attorney. 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. Let us take these worries and concerns away.
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 covered 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.
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.
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