Saint Agnes Medical Center Birth Injury Lawyers

This page is for parents and caregivers who delivered a baby at Saint Agnes Medical Center, 1303 East Herndon Avenue in Fresno, Fresno County, California, and who are now worried about how the baby is doing after a difficult labor or delivery. Maybe your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a brain injury from low oxygen, a nerve injury in the arm, or a delay in development, and you are asking whether the delivery played a part. Those are fair questions, and you deserve plain answers.

Saint Agnes Medical Center is a private nonprofit hospital that is part of Trinity Health. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), its newborn nursery cared for 4,229 babies that year. Most deliveries at any hospital go well. This page does not say that anything went wrong at this hospital. It explains, in general terms, what birth injuries are, what warning signs to watch for, how an independent medical review of a delivery works, and what options families have.

Beverly Law offers this information so you can decide what to do next with a clear head. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal or medical advice for your child. Because California sets strict deadlines for these cases, it is wise to ask questions early, even if you are not sure you have a claim. A short first conversation about your options does not commit you to anything.

Labor and delivery at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno

Saint Agnes Medical Center, at 1303 East Herndon Avenue, offers labor and delivery. On its labor and delivery page, the hospital describes private labor, delivery and recovery suites on the sixth floor, with mothers moving to a postpartum room on the fourth floor about two hours after delivery. The page also says staff check contraction patterns hourly in early labor and continuously once active labor begins, and that an epidural can be requested during active labor, authorized by a physician and given by an anesthesiologist.

For babies who need extra care, the hospital's maternity pages state that the pediatric team from Valley Children's Healthcare operates both a Level II and a Level III NICU on site at Saint Agnes. The hospital's own words are that babies who need critical care can be looked after a short walk from the delivery room. For reference, the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI) shows 4,229 newborns cared for in its newborn nursery and lists no licensed intensive-care newborn beds under the hospital's own license, so the hospital's website is the better place to confirm how its NICU is organized.

Saint Agnes is a private nonprofit hospital operated within Trinity Health, and it serves families from Fresno and the surrounding Central Valley. The hospital provides some of its patient materials, such as its records authorization form, in both English and Spanish. If you want to know exactly who cared for you and your baby, such as which obstetrician, nurses, anesthesia provider or neonatal team, the medical record is where that information is found, and we explain how to request it below.

Birth injuries families ask about after a difficult delivery

Birth injuries are injuries to a baby that happen around labor and delivery. Some are mild and heal on their own. Others affect a child for life. This section gives general medical background, drawn from medical sources, and is not about any one hospital or any one birth. One of the conditions families ask about most is hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE, a type of brain injury caused when the brain does not get enough oxygen or blood flow. According to Cleveland Clinic, babies with HIE can show signs such as weak tone, seizures, or trouble feeding and breathing, and cooling treatment started soon after birth is used for some infants.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement, balance and posture. The CDC calls it the most common motor disability in childhood and explains that it results from abnormal development of, or damage to, the developing brain, which can happen before birth, during birth, or in the first years of life. The CDC also notes that the cause is often unknown, so a diagnosis of cerebral palsy does not by itself tell a family why it happened.

Other injuries families ask about include Erb's palsy, also called brachial plexus birth palsy, in which the nerves that run from the neck to the arm are stretched, often when a baby's shoulder is slow to deliver. Orthopedic and hospital sources describe a weak or limp arm, and note that many babies recover with therapy while some need further care. Families also ask about bleeding in a newborn's brain, a broken collarbone or skull fracture, infections such as group B strep (GBS), and injuries to the mother such as heavy bleeding after delivery. Each has different causes, and many happen even when care is excellent. Whether any particular injury could have been avoided is a medical question that takes a careful review of the records.

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

In the first hours and days, signs that doctors take seriously include a baby who is very limp or very stiff, has seizures or unusual movements, has trouble breathing or feeding, is very sleepy or hard to wake, or has a weak cry. A baby who needed a long resuscitation or was moved to intensive care may be watched more closely. If your baby had any of these signs, it helps to write down what you were told and when, while your memory is fresh.

In the first weeks you may notice that one arm barely moves, that your baby always turns the head to one side, that feeding is a struggle, or that your baby seems unusually irritable or unusually quiet. A baby with a fever, poor feeding or unusual sleepiness in the first days should be seen by a doctor right away, because infections such as GBS can become serious quickly. Do not wait for a scheduled visit if you are worried.

In the first months and the first year, the CDC explains that the main sign of cerebral palsy is a delay in reaching movement milestones such as rolling over, sitting or crawling. Under six months, possible signs include head lag when the baby is lifted, a body that feels stiff or floppy, or stiff legs that cross when the baby is picked up. After six months, a baby who does not roll over in either direction, or who reaches with only one hand while keeping the other fisted, should be checked. Some babies who show these signs do not have cerebral palsy, so the right step is an evaluation, not panic. Trust your instincts and ask your pediatrician for a referral.

Who may be responsible in a birth-injury claim?

In a birth-injury case, responsibility can involve more than one person or organization, and who may be responsible depends on the facts. Depending on the case, the people and groups to look at can include the obstetrician or midwife who managed the labor, the nurses and other hospital staff who monitored mother and baby, the anesthesia provider, neonatal and pediatric doctors, and the hospital or medical group that employed or contracted with them.

One of the most common questions is what happens if the doctor did not work for the hospital. Many physicians are independent. They have privileges to treat patients at a hospital but are paid by their own practice or medical group. Nurses and other staff are more often employed by the hospital. Sorting out who employed whom, and who was responsible for which decisions, is part of a legal review, and it can change who a claim is brought against. You do not need to figure this out yourself before you call.

It is also important to separate a bad outcome from a medical mistake. A baby can be injured even when everyone does everything right, and a claim only makes sense if the care fell below accepted medical standards and that caused the harm. That is why families are usually advised to have an independent medical expert look at the records before any decision is made. Parents' own claims, and claims against a public hospital, can have much shorter deadlines than the child's claim, which is another reason to ask early. Saint Agnes is a private nonprofit hospital, but the specific doctors involved may have different employers, so ask about the details of your case.

How an independent expert review of the delivery works

An independent review starts with the complete medical records of the mother and the baby. Qualified physicians, such as obstetricians, neonatologists and pediatric neurologists, read the chart from the prenatal visits through labor, delivery and the newborn period. They are looking at what was known at each moment and what decisions were made, not judging with hindsight.

Several records matter most. Fetal heart monitoring strips show the baby's heart rate and the mother's contractions over time. Apgar scores rate how the baby was doing at one, five and sometimes ten minutes after birth. Cord blood gas results measure acidity in the umbilical cord blood, which can help show how the baby handled labor. Brain imaging such as MRI, and the NICU notes about seizures, cooling treatment, feeding and breathing support, help explain the type of injury and when it may have happened. Research on HIE describes MRI as an important tool for judging brain injury, and notes that blood gas values and Apgar scores are only part of the picture.

The expert then answers questions that a family cannot answer alone: Was the monitoring read and acted on in a timely way? Were the risks recognized? Was the injury likely caused by the delivery, or by something that happened earlier in pregnancy or by a condition no one could have prevented? Before any lawsuit can be filed against a doctor or hospital in California, a written notice of intent to sue has to be sent, and a careful review usually comes first. If the experts do not find a problem, the family at least has an answer. If they do, the family can decide whether to move forward.

What you can do now: step by step

Step one is to focus on your child's health. Keep every pediatric, neurology, therapy and imaging appointment, and ask the doctors to explain the diagnosis in plain words. Keep a folder, paper or on your phone, with discharge papers, test results, bills, insurance letters and the names of providers. Write a short timeline of the labor, delivery and the first days, including who you spoke with, while you still remember it well.

Step two is to request the records. Ask Saint Agnes for the full labor and delivery chart for you, and the full newborn chart for your baby, and ask specifically for the fetal monitoring strips, the Apgar and cord blood gas results, and any NICU records. If your baby was later seen at another hospital or by a specialist, request those records too. Details on the Saint Agnes process are in the records section of this page.

Step three is to talk to someone about your options before deadlines pass. California gives a child's case its own deadline, but parents' claims can be shorter, claims against public hospitals can require a written claim within months, and a notice to the provider is required before a malpractice lawsuit. You do not have to decide anything on the first call. Ask questions, bring your records when you have them, and take the time you need. A conversation with a lawyer about your case does not cost you anything at Beverly Law.

Support for your child while the case is reviewed: Early Start, therapies and Medi-Cal

A legal review should never delay care. If your baby is under three and has a delay or a diagnosis, California's Early Start program can help. Early Start is run through regional centers, and the regional center that serves Fresno County is Central Valley Regional Center. You do not need a lawyer or a doctor's order to ask for an evaluation, and it does not depend on whether there is a legal claim.

Many children with birth injuries benefit from physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and feeding therapy, and follow-up with specialists such as neurologists or orthopedic surgeons. For arm nerve injuries, therapy often starts in the first weeks. Ask your pediatrician which therapies are right for your child and how to get a referral.

Families who need help paying for care can ask about Medi-Cal and California Children's Services (CCS), a state program that may cover certain medical conditions for eligible children. Eligibility depends on your child's diagnosis and your family's situation, so ask your county or your child's doctor. None of these programs promises a particular result, but they can open doors to services while you learn more about what happened.

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 Saint Agnes 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.

Saint Agnes Medical Center handles medical records requests through its Health Information Management department. According to the hospital's records page, you can make an online request (patients only, with a government-issued ID) or complete the Authorization for Release of Information form, which is available in English and Spanish, and return it with a copy of your ID to Health Information Management, 1303 E. Herndon Ave., MS 510, Fresno, CA 93720. The department's phone number listed on the hospital's website is (559) 450-3327. For a baby's records, a parent or guardian makes the request. Ask for the complete labor and delivery chart, including the fetal heart monitoring strips, and the full newborn and NICU chart. Records from the hospital's affiliated clinics are kept by each clinic, so ask those offices separately.

The hospital’s medical records page →

Where a case from Fresno would be filed

A birth-injury lawsuit from a delivery in Fresno County would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno. According to the court's website, unlimited civil cases, which are lawsuits over $35,000 and include most personal injury and medical malpractice cases, are heard at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse, 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721. Where a case is filed can depend on where the care happened and where the defendants are, so a lawyer will confirm the right court for your situation.

Superior Court of California, County of Fresno – B.F. Sisk Courthouse (civil unlimited) → — 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721

Help for your child now: Early Start in Fresno County

Early Start is California's early intervention program for babies and toddlers under age 3 who have a developmental delay or a condition that may cause one. In Fresno County it is provided through Central Valley Regional Center, 4615 North Marty Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722. According to the Department of Developmental Services, the Fresno Early Start intake line is 559-276-4300 and referrals can be emailed to IntakeReferrals@cvrc.org; the center asks families to call before sending any personal health information. Parents, doctors or other caregivers can ask for an evaluation, and you do not need a lawyer to do so.

Central Valley Regional Center →

Key facts

Questions parents ask

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 Saint Agnes Medical Center or Trinity 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.