Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Birth Injury Lawyers

This page is for parents and family members who delivered a baby at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital in Loma Linda, San Bernardino County, California, and who now have questions about what happened during labor, delivery or the first days of the baby's life. Maybe your child needed time in the neonatal intensive care unit. Maybe a doctor mentioned a low oxygen level, a nerve injury in the arm, a brain bleed or a delay in development. Maybe nobody has explained very much, and you are trying to piece it together on your own. Whatever brought you here, you deserve clear information, written in plain words.

Loma Linda University Children's Hospital is part of Loma Linda University Health, a nonprofit health system, and it serves families across the Inland Empire. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), the hospital cared for 3,241 newborns in its newborn nursery that year and reported 84 licensed intensive-care newborn beds. Most babies born there go home healthy, and this page does not suggest otherwise. It is written for the smaller group of families who want to understand a difficult delivery or a serious diagnosis and what their options may be.

Below you will find general medical information about common birth injuries, the warning signs parents notice, who may be responsible when a birth injury is caused by a preventable mistake, how an independent expert review of a delivery works, and the practical steps you can take now. We also explain how to request your records from the hospital, where a case in San Bernardino County would usually be filed, and how to ask for early help for your child through the regional center. Nothing here is a judgment about any hospital, doctor or nurse, and it is not legal advice for your particular situation.

Labor and delivery at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital

Loma Linda University Children's Hospital is located at 11234 Anderson St. in Loma Linda. The hospital's own website describes its labor and delivery services, which are offered in the San Manuel Maternity Pavilion on the fifth floor of the children's hospital tower. The hospital states that it cares for vaginal and cesarean births and for both low-risk and high-risk deliveries, and that board-certified obstetricians and anesthesiologists care for patients, with anesthesia available for epidurals and emergencies.

The hospital also runs a neonatal intensive care unit, which its website describes as a Level IV NICU, the highest level of newborn intensive care. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), it has 84 licensed intensive-care newborn beds and recorded 802 NICU discharges in 2024, alongside 3,241 newborns cared for in the newborn nursery. The hospital's website says its NICU team includes neonatologists, pediatric neurologists, surgeons and specialty-trained nurses, that it offers neurologic monitoring and care for newborns, and that a transport team brings babies who need a higher level of care to the unit from surrounding counties.

The hospital is operated by Loma Linda University Health, a nonprofit organization with church ties, and the state classifies it as a private nonprofit hospital. It serves families from the Inland Empire and beyond, many of them bilingual or Spanish-speaking. A baby who spends time in a high-level NICU often leaves with follow-up appointments, therapies and many questions, which is why having clear information and a copy of the records matters for the whole family.

Birth injuries families ask about after a difficult delivery

The word birth injury covers many different situations. Some are minor and heal on their own. The Cleveland Clinic notes that most birth injuries are minor and that the outlook is excellent for the common ones, while a smaller number are serious. The medical conditions parents ask about most often are described here in general terms. They are not statements about any particular hospital or delivery.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE, is brain injury from reduced oxygen and blood flow around the time of birth. Newborns with moderate or severe HIE are typically treated with therapeutic hypothermia, a carefully controlled cooling of the baby that is started within about six hours of birth, as described in reviews published through the National Library of Medicine. Cerebral palsy is a group of movement and posture disorders caused by abnormal development or damage to the developing brain. The CDC explains that most cases begin before or during birth, that the specific cause is often unknown, and that lack of oxygen during birth accounts for only a small share of cases. Not every child with a difficult birth develops cerebral palsy, and not every case of cerebral palsy is the result of a preventable event.

Erb's palsy, also called a brachial plexus birth injury, is damage to the nerves that control the shoulder, arm and hand. HealthyChildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, reports that it occurs in about 1.5 of every 1,000 live births, usually during a difficult delivery when the baby's neck is stretched to the side, and that many children recover with therapy while some need surgery. Other injuries include bleeding inside the skull, scalp swelling, and fractures of the collarbone or skull, which the Cleveland Clinic lists among the types of birth injury. Newborns can also develop infections, such as group B strep (GBS), that need prompt treatment, and mothers can suffer injuries of their own, including heavy postpartum bleeding (hemorrhage) or tears. Each of these has many possible causes, and a medical review is the only way to know what applies to one family.

Warning signs of a birth injury in the first days, weeks and months

In the first hours and days, parents may notice that the baby needed help to breathe, had a low Apgar score, had seizures or jerking movements, was very limp or very stiff, fed poorly, or was moved to the NICU. A baby may hold one arm still, cry when a limb is touched, or have swelling or bruising on the head. Hospital staff may mention that the baby was cooled, had a head ultrasound or MRI, or needed antibiotics. Write down what you were told, by whom and when, even if it seems unclear at the time.

In the first weeks and months, signs can be quieter. The CDC lists head lag when a baby is lifted from lying on the back, stiffness or floppiness, arching of the back, and stiff or scissoring legs among the early signs of cerebral palsy in babies under six months. After six months, not rolling over, trouble bringing the hands together, or using only one hand can be signs. The main sign is a delay in reaching motor milestones, although some children with these signs turn out not to have cerebral palsy. Other concerns include trouble swallowing or feeding, poor eye contact, not responding to sounds, seizures, and an arm that stays weak or does not move.

If you see any of these signs, call your pediatrician, and call 911 or go to an emergency department right away for trouble breathing, a seizure, a baby who is very hard to wake, or a baby who will not eat. Medical care for your child always comes first. A legal review can wait a few days, but a child's health cannot.

Who may be responsible in a birth-injury claim

When a birth injury results from care that fell below accepted medical standards, more than one person or organization may share responsibility. Those who may be involved include the obstetrician, a midwife, the labor and delivery nurses, an anesthesiologist, a neonatologist or pediatrician who cared for the baby after birth, a medical group that employs the physicians, and the hospital itself. Whether any of them is responsible depends entirely on the facts, and many difficult deliveries are no one's fault.

One question comes up again and again: did the doctor work for the hospital? Many physicians who deliver babies are independent or employed by a separate medical group or university practice, not by the hospital. Nurses and other staff are often hospital employees. Who employed each person, and who is legally responsible for their actions, can change who a claim is brought against. A lawyer reviewing the records can sort this out, and you do not need to figure it out before you call.

Different types of hospitals also follow different rules. Claims against public hospitals involve a written claim to the government before any lawsuit, and members of certain health plans may have agreed to arbitration. The state classifies this hospital as a private nonprofit hospital, but your own situation, including your health plan and your doctors' employment, can matter, so it is wise to ask early.

How an independent expert review of a delivery works

An independent review starts with the complete medical records of the mother and the baby. Reviewers look at the prenatal chart, the labor and delivery notes, the nursing records and orders, and the NICU notes. Among the most important items are the fetal heart monitoring strips, which record the baby's heart rate and the mother's contractions through labor. Reviewers also look at the Apgar scores, the umbilical cord blood gas results that show the baby's oxygen and acid levels at birth, the timing of any cesarean decision, and any medications given.

After birth, imaging and test results help explain what happened. A brain MRI, head ultrasound, EEG and blood tests can show the pattern, timing and extent of an injury. Qualified physicians, such as obstetricians, neonatologists, pediatric neurologists and nurses, are asked whether the care met the accepted standard and whether anything done or not done caused the injury. Their opinions are central to deciding whether a case can responsibly move forward.

The review is meant to answer questions honestly. Sometimes the answer is that the care was appropriate and the condition could not have been prevented. That information can bring families peace of mind and help them focus on their child's care. Other times, the review finds concerns worth pursuing. Either way, a lawyer's first conversation with you, and an initial case review, should not cost you anything.

What to do now: steps for families after a difficult delivery

First, take care of your child's health. Keep every appointment with the pediatrician, specialists and therapists, and ask for referrals when you have concerns. Second, write down what you remember: dates, times, what staff told you, who was in the room, and how the baby looked and behaved. Keep your own notes, photos, discharge papers, bills, insurance letters and test results in one folder. Avoid posting details on social media.

Third, request the complete medical records for you and for your baby from the hospital. California law gives parents a right to these records, and the records section below explains how to ask. Ask for the fetal monitoring strips and for the NICU chart as well as the delivery summary. Fourth, remember that the law sets strict deadlines for birth-injury claims, and some are much shorter than families expect, so speak with a lawyer sooner rather than later even if you are not sure you want to take action.

Fifth, consider asking an independent birth-injury lawyer to review the case. You do not have to decide anything during that conversation, and you are free to continue your child's care at the same hospital while it is reviewed. Sixth, ask your child's doctors about early intervention and therapy right away, because those services help your child no matter what happens with any claim.

Support for your child while a case is reviewed: therapy, regional center and Medi-Cal

Your child's care should not wait for a legal review. Children under age three with a delay or a condition that may cause a delay can be evaluated for Early Start, California's early intervention program, which is arranged through the regional center. Pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapy are often prescribed for children after a birth injury, and many families work with specialists in neurology, orthopedics and rehabilitation.

California Children's Services (CCS) is a state program that helps pay for care for children with certain serious medical conditions, and Medi-Cal may cover therapies, equipment and medical visits for eligible families. Ask the hospital's social worker or your child's pediatrician which programs may apply, since eligibility depends on your family's situation and your child's diagnosis. The hospital's website says a high-risk infant follow-up clinic monitors babies after discharge, checking growth and development.

Support groups, parent-to-parent organizations and school district services can also help as your child grows. No program guarantees any result, and nothing here promises an outcome for any legal case, but families who build a support team early often find it easier to cope with the demands of caring for a child with special needs.

Deadlines for a birth-injury case in California

California gives a child’s birth-injury case its own deadline. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5, a minor must sue within three years of the wrongful act, but a child who was under six when it happened has until his or her eighth birthday if that is longer. For a baby hurt during labor or delivery, that usually means the eighth birthday. The clock runs from the act itself, not from the day the family learned what went wrong, and it is paused only in narrow cases of fraud or collusion. Parents’ own claims, and claims against a public hospital, can have much shorter deadlines, so it is safer to get advice early.

Before a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed in California, the doctor or hospital must get written warning. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 364, the health care provider must receive at least 90 days’ notice of the intention to sue. No special form is required, but the notice must state the legal basis of the claim, the type of loss and the specific injuries suffered. Under § 364(d), if the notice is served within the last 90 days of the filing deadline, the deadline is extended 90 days from the date of service. The notice is a required step, and it is often the moment a case moves from questions to formal action.

What MICRA caps — and what it does not

California’s MICRA law limits one part of a medical malpractice recovery. Under Civil Code § 3333.2, as amended by AB 35, non-economic damages (pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life) are capped. In 2026 the cap is $470,000 for injury and $650,000 for wrongful death, and it rises every January 1 ($40,000 and $50,000 a year until 2033, then 2% a year). Separate caps can apply to doctors, hospitals and unaffiliated providers. Economic damages are not capped: lifetime medical care, therapy, equipment, home modifications and lost earning capacity can be recovered in full, and in a birth-injury case they are usually the largest part of the claim.

How to get the delivery records from Loma Linda Children's Hospital

California law gives families a right to these records. Under Health and Safety Code § 123110, a patient or the patient’s personal representative — for a baby, a parent or guardian (§ 123105) — may inspect the records within five working days of a written request and is entitled to a paper or electronic copy, which the provider must send within 15 days after receiving a request that says which records are wanted. For a birth-injury review, ask for both charts: the mother’s labor and delivery record, including the fetal heart rate monitoring strips, and the baby’s newborn and NICU record.

Records from Loma Linda University Children's Hospital are handled by the Medical Records Office (Health Information Management) in Loma Linda. According to the Loma Linda University Health website, you can submit a request through MyChart, or complete the Patient Request for Protected Health Information form (116-3009D) and send it by mail to 101 E. Redlands Blvd., Suite 1200, San Bernardino, CA 92408, by fax to 909-558-2454, or by email to medicalrecords@llu.edu; the office phone is 909-651-4191. Because a baby's chart is separate from the mother's, ask for both, and ask specifically for the fetal heart monitoring strips and the NICU records. Fees and processing details can change, so confirm them with the office.

The hospital’s medical records page →

Where a case from Loma Linda would be filed

A birth-injury case from a delivery in Loma Linda would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino. The court's Civil Division for the San Bernardino District is at the San Bernardino Justice Center, 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210, and the court's website is sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov. Where a particular case is filed depends on factors such as where the care took place and where the defendants are located, and a lawyer can confirm the correct court for your family.

Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino – San Bernardino Justice Center (Civil Division) → — 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210

Help for your child now: Early Start in San Bernardino County

Early Start is California's program for babies and toddlers under age three who have a developmental delay or a condition that may cause one. For families in Loma Linda and the rest of San Bernardino County, Early Start is arranged through Inland Regional Center, 1365 S. Waterman Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92408. The state's regional center listing gives an Early Start intake line for San Bernardino County at 909-890-4711. A parent, doctor or hospital social worker can make the referral, and you can ask for an evaluation yourself. Early Start is available no matter what you decide about a legal claim.

Inland Regional Center →

Key facts

Questions parents ask

Other San Bernardino County hospitals we cover

Kaiser Permanente Fontana · San Bernardino birth injury lawyers →

Related pages

Cerebral Palsy · Erb’s Palsy / Brachial Plexus Injury · HIE / Oxygen Deprivation at Birth · Statute of Limitations · MICRA Damages Cap · All California hospitals · California birth injury lawyers · Birth injury guides

Beverly Law is an independent law firm. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or speaking for Loma Linda University Children's Hospital or Loma Linda University Health. Hospital facts on this page come from the public sources listed above.

Important: This page is general information about birth injuries and California law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Beverly Law. Every case is different — talk to a lawyer about your own situation. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. No fees or costs unless we win. Last reviewed: 2026-09-18.