Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Birth Injury Lawyers

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a teaching hospital at 757 Westwood Plaza in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. It is run by the University of California and is part of UCLA Health. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), the hospital cared for 1,662 newborns in its newborn nursery that year and reported 22 licensed intensive-care newborn beds, with 232 NICU discharges. Its own website describes The BirthPlace Westwood as its labor and delivery service.

This page is for parents and family members who delivered a baby at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and now have questions. Perhaps your baby needed the NICU, was slow to meet milestones, had trouble feeding, or received a diagnosis such as cerebral palsy or a nerve injury in the shoulder. Perhaps you were told little at the time, and you simply want to understand what happened. Those questions are normal, and asking them does not mean anyone did something wrong.

Below you will find plain-language information about common birth injuries, warning signs, who can be involved in a delivery, how an independent medical review works, and what you can do now. This is general information, not legal or medical advice, and it is not a statement about any hospital, doctor or nurse. Every family's situation is different, and the deadlines that apply to a birth-injury case can be short, so it helps to learn your options early.

Labor and delivery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood

The hospital's own website presents The BirthPlace Westwood as the labor and delivery service at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The page describes family-centered care, labor, delivery and recovery rooms, a postpartum unit where mother and baby can stay together, prenatal classes and tours, and lactation support. It lists the hospital address as 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

The state's numbers give a sense of scale. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), the newborn nursery cared for 1,662 newborns, and the hospital reported 22 licensed intensive-care newborn beds. That same report counted 232 NICU discharges in 2024. UCLA's NICU page also mentions respiratory care for newborns, including support for babies who receive full-body cooling and ECMO, and care teams who attend high-risk deliveries.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a University of California hospital, which makes it a public entity under California law. That matters later, because claims against public hospitals follow special rules with very short first steps. As a teaching hospital in Westwood, it serves families from across Los Angeles County and beyond, including mothers who are referred for higher-risk pregnancies. Most deliveries, including those where a baby needs extra support, end well. This page is for the families whose experience left them with questions.

Birth injuries families ask about after a difficult delivery

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a brain injury that happens when a baby's brain does not get enough blood and oxygen. Cleveland Clinic explains that it can be linked to events before or during birth, such as a problem with the umbilical cord, placental abruption, or uterine rupture, and that symptoms range from floppy or stiff muscles and feeding trouble to seizures. Cooling therapy, in which the baby's body temperature is lowered and then gradually raised, is the main treatment used in NICUs for eligible babies. HIE can sometimes lead to later conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CDC) is a group of conditions that affect movement, balance and posture, and it is the most common motor disability in childhood. The CDC states that most cases, about 85 to 90 percent, are congenital, meaning they begin before or around the time of birth, and that the exact cause is often unknown. That is why an individual review of the records matters: a diagnosis alone does not tell a family why it happened.

Other injuries families ask about include Erb's palsy and other brachial plexus injuries, in which the nerves running from the neck to the arm are stretched during delivery. NINDS notes that many babies improve, and that some need therapy or surgery. Newborns can also have bleeding in or around the brain, a fractured collarbone or skull bone, or infections such as group B strep. Mothers can face injuries too, such as heavy bleeding (postpartum hemorrhage) or tears. These are medical facts about birth in general. They say nothing about any particular hospital, and many of these conditions occur even when care is excellent.

Warning signs in the first days, weeks and months

In the first days, parents are often told to watch for a baby who is very sleepy or hard to wake, has a weak cry, feeds poorly, seems floppy or unusually stiff, has trouble breathing, or has seizure-like movements such as repeated jerking, stiffening or staring spells. A baby who does not move one arm as much as the other may have a nerve injury. A swelling or bruise on the head, or a baby who cries when a collarbone or limb is touched, should be examined. Fever, poor feeding or unusual sleepiness in a newborn always needs urgent medical attention.

In the weeks and months that follow, the signs are often about development. The CDC lists delays in rolling over, sitting or walking, as well as stiffness, floppiness or poor head control, as possible signs of cerebral palsy, while noting that some children without cerebral palsy show these signs too. Other things to mention to your pediatrician include a strong preference for one hand early in life, trouble swallowing, not following objects with the eyes, not responding to sound, and missing the milestones in the CDC's free milestone checklists.

If something worries you, you do not need to wait for permission. Call your pediatrician and ask for a developmental screening. In California, children under three can be referred to the Early Start program for an evaluation, and a parent can make that request directly. Writing down dates, symptoms and what each doctor told you now will help later, whether or not a legal case is ever considered.

Who may be responsible in a birth-injury claim

Many people take part in a delivery, and who may be responsible depends on the facts. A hospital may be responsible for what its own employees do, which can include labor and delivery nurses, nursery and NICU nurses, and other staff who monitor mother and baby. Obstetricians, midwives, anesthesiologists, neonatologists and other physicians may also be involved, and each has their own duties during labor and delivery.

Not every physician is a hospital employee. Some doctors are independent, or belong to a separate medical group that has an arrangement with the hospital. Whether a doctor was an employee or an independent professional can change who may be named in a claim and how the claim is brought, which is one reason a careful review of the records and the hospital's relationships matters. In a university hospital, some physicians may also be faculty members of the university's medical school or part of a physician practice group, so the answer is not always obvious from the badge someone wore.

Because Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is operated by the University of California, a public entity, a claim involving the hospital itself follows the special claim rules for public entities. Those include a written claim with a short deadline before any lawsuit. A claim against a private doctor can follow a different timeline. This is why speaking with a lawyer early, before records are even gathered, can protect options. Nothing here suggests that anyone at any hospital acted improperly; it explains how California decides who may be asked to answer questions.

How an independent expert review of a delivery works

An independent review means that a qualified doctor who is not connected to the hospital reads the medical records and gives an opinion on whether the care met accepted medical standards and whether any departure from those standards caused the child's injury. In California, medical cases usually depend on this kind of expert opinion, so it is often the first real step after the records are in hand.

Reviewers typically look at several things. The fetal heart monitoring strips show the baby's heart rate during labor and how the care team responded to changes. Apgar scores, given at one and five minutes after birth, summarize how the baby looked at delivery. Umbilical cord blood gas results can show how much oxygen the baby had and how acidic the blood was. The review also covers labor notes, medication records, the delivery record, NICU notes, any cooling-therapy records, EEG results, and brain imaging such as MRI, which can show the pattern and timing of an injury.

The outcome of a review can be reassuring. Many families learn that the injury was not caused by a mistake, and that is useful information in itself. When a review does raise concerns, the family can decide what to do next with full information. A review does not commit anyone to a lawsuit. The expert reads the chart, not the person, and the opinion is only as good as the complete record, which is why requesting every page, including the monitoring strips, matters.

What you can do now, step by step

First, take care of your child and yourself. Keep every medical appointment, and follow the therapy and medical plans your child's doctors give you. Write down a timeline while it is fresh: when labor began, what you were told, when your baby was moved to the NICU, and when concerns first appeared. Save discharge papers, bills, insurance letters and photos. Avoid posting details on social media.

Second, request the records. A parent or guardian can ask for the mother's labor and delivery chart and the baby's chart, including the NICU records and the fetal monitoring strips, which are sometimes kept separately from the main chart. The records section below explains the hospital's request process. Ask for complete copies, including electronic data, not a summary.

Third, learn the deadlines. California has strict time limits for birth-injury claims, and a claim involving a public hospital has an early written claim step. A lawyer can tell you which deadlines apply to your family and when they may start. Fourth, talk to a lawyer about an independent review of the records. At Beverly Law, a first conversation is meant to help you understand your options, and you can ask what costs apply before you decide anything.

Support for your child while a case is reviewed

Your child's care should not wait for any legal question. Physical, occupational and speech therapy can begin as soon as your child's doctors recommend them. Many families work with their pediatrician, a neurologist, and a therapy team, and some children also need equipment, feeding support or specialist visits.

For babies and toddlers under three, California's Early Start program can evaluate development at no cost to the family, and the evaluation is arranged through the regional center that serves your home address. Children with certain serious conditions may also qualify for California Children's Services (CCS), and Medi-Cal may cover therapy and medical care for eligible families. Eligibility rules change, so ask the program directly. No program is guaranteed, and none of them depends on whether you ever pursue a claim.

Families also find it helpful to connect with parent support groups and family resource centers, which are listed by the regional centers. These groups can explain what to expect at each age and how to prepare for school services later.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a public hospital: the six-month claim comes first

Because Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a University of California hospital (operated by UCLA Health (University of California)), a claim for an injury at birth usually has to start with a written government claim, not a lawsuit. This is the single most important deadline on this page.

Many California babies are born at county or University of California hospitals: LAC+USC, Harbor-UCLA, Olive View-UCLA, Riverside University Health System, Arrowhead Regional, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Davis and others. These are public entities, and the Government Claims Act applies. Under Government Code § 911.2, a written claim for injury or death must be presented to the public entity within six months of the injury, before any lawsuit. If the claim is rejected in writing, Government Code § 945.6 gives six months from that notice to file suit. The child’s longer deadline under Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5 does not replace this six-month claim, so families with a public-hospital birth should act right away.

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.

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 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

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.

To get the records from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, contact UCLA Health Health Information Management Services (the release of information office). According to UCLA Health's medical records page, you can request records through a myUCLAhealth account (on a computer, not a phone), through an online authorization form that asks for your photo ID, or by sending a signed Authorization for Release of Health Information form. The form must carry a handwritten signature; electronic signatures are not accepted, and unsigned or incomplete forms are returned. The office's mailing address is 10833 Le Conte Ave., CHS, BH-902, Los Angeles, CA 90095, the phone is 310-825-6021, the fax is 310-983-1468, the email is roi@mednet.ucla.edu, and hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. For a baby, a parent or guardian makes the request. Ask for both the mother's and the baby's charts, and specifically for the fetal monitoring strips and NICU records.

The hospital’s medical records page →

Where a case from Los Angeles would be filed

A birth-injury case from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, in the civil division for unlimited personal injury cases. The court's website lists personal injury courtrooms at the Spring Street Courthouse, 312 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, and notes that its personal injury hub arrangement is being phased out, so the department that hears a particular case can change. Your lawyer will confirm the right courthouse and department when a case is filed. Before any lawsuit against a public hospital, a written claim to the public entity is required first.

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles – Spring Street Courthouse (civil personal injury) → — 312 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Help for your child now: Early Start in Los Angeles County

Early Start is California's early intervention program for babies and toddlers under three who have a developmental delay or a condition that may cause one. Evaluations are arranged through the regional center that serves your home address, so use the Regional Center Lookup on the Department of Developmental Services site (dds.ca.gov) to find yours. The DDS website lists Westside Regional Center among the seven regional centers serving Los Angeles County, with an Early Start intake line of (310) 258-4096, but other centers serve other parts of the county. Call the intake line, say you want an Early Start evaluation for your baby, and describe your concerns. A parent can make this request directly without waiting for a doctor's referral.

Westside Regional Center (confirm your regional center by home address with the DDS lookup) →

Key facts

Questions parents ask

Other Los Angeles County hospitals we cover

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · Miller Children’s & Women’s Long Beach · Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center · Kaiser Permanente Downey · Antelope Valley Medical Center · Adventist Health White Memorial · Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park · Queen of the Valley Hospital, West Covina · CHA Hollywood Presbyterian · Huntington Hospital, Pasadena · Los Angeles 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 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center or UCLA Health (University of California). 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.