Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Birth Injury Lawyers

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a private nonprofit hospital at 8700 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), it cared for 5,308 newborns in its newborn nursery that year and is licensed for 45 intensive-care newborn (NICU) beds. This page is for families who delivered there and are now worried about their baby's health or development, or about the mother's recovery.

Most births end well, and nothing on this page says anything about the care given to any particular family. But when a baby is diagnosed with a condition such as cerebral palsy, a brachial plexus injury or a brain injury after a hard delivery, parents understandably ask what happened and what comes next. Below we explain, in plain language, the medical terms, the warning signs, how an independent review of a delivery works, and the practical steps a family can take.

This is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you have questions about your own situation, a conversation with a birth-injury attorney can help you understand your options, and your child's pediatrician or specialists can answer medical questions.

Labor and Delivery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles

Cedars-Sinai's own website describes labor and delivery and postpartum rooms and offers maternity tours for expectant families. The hospital sits on Beverly Boulevard near the Beverly Grove and West Hollywood neighborhoods, and it serves families from across Los Angeles County and beyond.

The state's 2024 Hospital Annual Utilization Report (HCAI) is a useful snapshot of the hospital's newborn services. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), Cedars-Sinai cared for 5,308 newborns in the newborn nursery, reported 45 licensed NICU beds and recorded 669 NICU discharges. Those numbers tell us that the hospital cares for both healthy newborns and babies who need intensive care.

The California Department of Health Care Services also lists a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Regional) and a High Risk Infant Follow-up (Regional) program at Cedars-Sinai as California Children's Services special care centers. The hospital's NICU page is part of its children's hospital, Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's. We do not state a NICU 'level' here because we could not confirm one on an official page we were able to open.

If your baby spent time in the NICU, you may have been told many things quickly. It is normal to want to review it all later, at a calmer pace, with the actual records in hand.

Birth Injuries Families Ask About After a Difficult Delivery

'Birth injury' is a broad term for harm to a baby (or a mother) connected to pregnancy, labor or delivery. Some injuries are not preventable and some are unrelated to the care given. The conditions below are the ones families most often ask about. This is general medical background and is not about any hospital.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is brain injury caused by too little oxygen and blood flow to the baby's brain. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement and posture disorders caused by abnormal development of, or damage to, the developing brain. The CDC notes that people once thought CP was mainly caused by lack of oxygen during birth, but scientists now think that explains only a small number of cases; the brain differences can arise before birth, during birth, or within the first years of life. The NICHD also describes CP as a lifelong condition whose signs often appear in infancy.

Erb's palsy and other brachial plexus injuries happen when the nerves running from the neck to the arm are stretched during birth, which can leave an arm weak or limp. Other injuries families ask about include bleeding in the newborn's brain, a fractured collarbone or skull, and bruising or swelling of the scalp. Many of these heal well; others need follow-up care.

Infections are another topic. Group B strep (GBS) bacteria can pass from mother to baby during birth, and the CDC says GBS disease is most common in newborns and that screening and preventive antibiotics during labor are used to lower the risk. Mothers can also be hurt: heavy bleeding after delivery (postpartum hemorrhage), infection, and tears or surgical injuries are examples. A maternal complication deserves the same careful questions as a newborn one.

Warning Signs of a Birth Injury in the First Days, Weeks and Months

In the first days, parents and nurses may notice trouble breathing, a weak or unusual cry, seizures or jerking movements, a baby who is very floppy or very stiff, poor feeding, a low Apgar score, or a need for cooling therapy or NICU care. An arm that does not move on one side can point to a nerve injury, and a swollen area on the collarbone or head should be checked.

In the following weeks and months, other signs can appear: missing eye contact, a baby who is not rolling, reaching or sitting when expected, fists that stay tightly clenched, strong preference for one side of the body, feeding or swallowing difficulty, or unusual stiffness or looseness. The CDC says the main sign of CP is a delay in reaching movement milestones, and it offers a free Milestone Tracker app in English and Spanish.

Having one of these signs does not mean a baby was injured at birth; many have other explanations. The important thing is not to wait. Tell your pediatrician what you see, ask for a referral to a specialist, and write down dates and observations. Early therapy can make a real difference whatever the cause.

Who May Be Responsible in a Birth-Injury Claim?

A delivery involves many people, and which of them may be legally responsible depends on the facts. Those who may be involved include the obstetrician, a midwife, anesthesia providers, a pediatrician or neonatologist, labor and delivery nurses, and the hospital itself. Sometimes a physician group or a medical group is also part of the picture.

One question that often matters is who employed whom. Some doctors are employees of the hospital. Many are independent physicians who have privileges to treat patients there but work for their own practice or medical group. That difference can affect who is named in a claim and which insurers are involved. Families often do not know the answer, and it is something an attorney can sort out from the records.

A bad outcome alone does not mean someone was negligent. A claim generally requires showing that the care fell below accepted standards and that this caused the injury. That is exactly what an independent expert review is for. Because this hospital is a private nonprofit hospital and not a county or University of California hospital, the special six-month claim for public hospitals is not the usual path, but the strict deadlines described below still apply, so it is safer to get advice early.

How an Independent Expert Review of the Delivery Works

An independent review means qualified physicians who have no connection to the hospital read the complete record and give an honest opinion about whether the care met accepted standards and whether it affected the outcome. It usually starts with the full chart, not a summary.

Reviewers typically look at the fetal heart monitoring strips that show the baby's heart rate and the mother's contractions during labor, the timing of decisions and of any cesarean section, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, umbilical cord blood gas results that show how the baby was doing at birth, resuscitation notes, and the NICU record. Brain imaging such as MRI, EEG results and later neurology notes help show the nature and timing of an injury.

Different specialists may be consulted, for example an obstetrician, a neonatologist, a pediatric neurologist or radiologist, and a nurse expert. The review can also show that the care was appropriate, and that is useful information for a family too. In some cases a life-care planner later estimates the child's future needs.

What You Can Do Now: Step by Step

First, take care of your child and yourself: keep every appointment and follow the doctors' advice. Second, write down what you remember about labor, delivery and the first days: dates, who said what, and any questions you still have. Keep photos, discharge papers, bills and insurance letters in one folder.

Third, request the medical records for both mother and baby from the hospital, and from any outside doctors, NICU follow-up clinics and your pediatrician. Ask for the complete chart, including the fetal monitoring strips, and ask for them in electronic form if you can. Fourth, avoid signing releases or giving recorded statements to insurance companies before you understand them, and be careful about what you post online.

Fifth, talk with a birth-injury attorney early. Initial conversations are usually free and without obligation, and the legal deadlines for a child's claim and for a parent's own claim can differ. Asking about them does not commit you to anything. Sixth, if your family prefers to discuss things with the hospital, a patient-relations contact can answer questions about the care and about billing.

Support for Your Child and Family While a Case Is Reviewed

Your child's care should not wait for any legal question. Pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapy, early intervention, and specialist visits can begin now. If your baby is under 3, California's Early Start program, delivered through regional centers, can evaluate your baby for free regardless of income.

Medi-Cal and California Children's Services (CCS) may help cover care for children with qualifying conditions, depending on eligibility. Your pediatrician, the hospital's social worker or case manager, and your health plan can explain what applies to you. We cannot promise coverage or outcomes, but asking early costs nothing.

Parents of children with special needs also benefit from support of their own: family resource centers, parent groups and counseling. You do not have to carry this alone.

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 Cedars-Sinai 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 Cedars-Sinai, start with the hospital's Medical Records Request page. According to the hospital, you can request records online through its My CS-Link patient portal, or send a signed authorization form to the Release of Information unit of the Health Information Department, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Room 2901, Los Angeles, CA 90048. For a newborn, a parent or legal guardian makes the request. Ask for the complete chart for both mother and baby, including fetal heart monitoring strips, labor notes, the delivery record, cord blood gases, Apgar scores and NICU records. The hospital's pages give processing times of several business days, so please check the page for current instructions.

The hospital’s medical records page →

Where a case from Los Angeles would be filed

A birth-injury case from Los Angeles County would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, in its civil unlimited jurisdiction. The court has handled unlimited personal injury cases at the Spring Street Courthouse, 312 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, but courtroom assignments change, so confirm the current courthouse on the court's website before filing.

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

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

If your baby is under 3 and has, or may have, a developmental delay, you can ask for a free Early Start evaluation through the California regional center that serves your home address; the center depends on where you live, not where the baby was born. The state's Department of Developmental Services lists Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center (Early Start intake (213) 252-8610), which serves the Hollywood-Wilshire and central Los Angeles area, and Westside Regional Center ((310) 258-4096), which serves Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and other Westside communities, among the Los Angeles County centers. Use the DDS regional center lookup with your zip code, call the intake line and say you would like an Early Start evaluation. A doctor's referral helps but is not required.

Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center →

Key facts

Questions parents ask

Other Los Angeles County hospitals we cover

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 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Cedars-Sinai (private nonprofit corporation). 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.