UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center Birth Injury Lawyers

If your baby was born at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center at 1250 16th Street in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, and the delivery or the first days afterward did not go the way you hoped, you probably have questions. This page is written for parents, grandparents and caregivers who want to understand what a birth injury is, what the warning signs look like, and what options a family has. It is general information, not medical or legal advice.

According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), the hospital's newborn nursery cared for 1,320 newborns that year, and its licensed intensive-care nursery has 16 NICU beds, with 157 NICU discharges in 2024. UCLA Health's own labor and delivery page says that families can deliver at The BirthPlace in Santa Monica and that a Level III NICU is on site. The medical center is part of UCLA Health and is operated by the University of California.

Nothing here says that anything went wrong at this hospital. Most deliveries end well, and the care teams there work with many families every year. But when a child is diagnosed with a brain injury, a nerve injury, or a developmental delay, parents often want a clear, independent explanation of what happened, and they want to know how to protect their child's future. The sections below walk through that, step by step.

Labor and delivery at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center is at 1250 16th Street in Santa Monica. The hospital's information line is (310) 794-1630 as listed in the state's data. UCLA Health describes its maternity program as The BirthPlace, which has two locations, one in Westwood and one in Santa Monica. On its labor and delivery page, UCLA Health says it offers labor and delivery care with obstetricians and anesthesiologists available around the clock, and that families in Santa Monica can also work with a certified nurse midwife.

For babies who need extra care, the hospital's own page states that there is a Level III NICU on site in Santa Monica. The state's 2024 hospital utilization report (HCAI) lists 16 licensed intensive-care newborn beds and 157 NICU discharges for the year, and says the newborn nursery cared for 1,320 newborns. These are numbers reported by the hospital to the state, and we use them only to give you a sense of scale.

The medical center serves Santa Monica and the Westside of Los Angeles County. It is operated by the University of California as part of UCLA Health, which matters later in this page because public hospitals have special rules for legal claims.

Birth injuries families ask about after a difficult delivery

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE, is a brain injury that happens around the time of birth when the baby's brain does not get enough oxygen or blood flow. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) explains that some children with HIE have no lasting effects while others have mild to severe disabilities, and that the full picture can take months or even years to become clear. HIE is one of the conditions linked to cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement, balance and posture. The CDC explains that it is the most common motor disability in childhood, that most cases are congenital, meaning they begin before or during birth, and that often the exact cause is never found. Cerebral palsy does not get worse over time, but how it shows itself can change as a child grows. Early therapy can improve quality of life.

Erb's palsy, also called brachial plexus birth palsy, is an injury to the nerves that run from the neck to the arm. The Cleveland Clinic reports that it affects roughly 1 to 3 babies in every 1,000 births and that risk factors include a larger baby, a difficult shoulder delivery and breech position. Many babies recover, and some need therapy or surgery. Other conditions families ask about include 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. These can happen even with excellent care. What matters for a family is understanding the cause in their own case.

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

In the first days, parents and nurses may notice a baby who is very floppy or very stiff, who has trouble feeding or swallowing, who has seizures or unusual movements, who has a weak or unusual cry, or who needs help breathing. An arm that does not move on one side, or a baby who seems to cry when you touch a shoulder or collarbone, can point to a nerve or bone injury. If your baby is moved to the NICU, ask the care team to explain why in plain words.

In the weeks and months that follow, the CDC lists delayed motor milestones as the main early sign of cerebral palsy: not holding the head up, not rolling over, not sitting, or using one hand much more than the other. Stiff legs, arching of the back, trouble with feeding, and missed smiles or sounds can also be signs. Every baby develops at their own pace, so a late milestone does not always mean a problem, but it is always fine to ask.

If something worries you, write down what you see, with dates, and tell your pediatrician. You do not need a referral to ask for a developmental evaluation. Trust your instincts. Parents are often the first to notice that something is different.

Who may be responsible in a birth-injury claim

A birth involves many people, and a claim may involve more than one of them. Depending on the facts, it may include hospital nurses and other staff, an obstetrician, a certified nurse midwife, an anesthesiologist, a neonatologist or pediatrician, and the medical group that employs them. Whether a particular person may be responsible depends on what happened and on what the records show.

It also matters who employed each person. Some doctors who care for patients at a hospital are employees of the hospital or its health system, and some work for a separate medical group or have their own practice. If your obstetrician did not work for the hospital, a claim may still be possible against that doctor or practice, and possibly the hospital as well. This is one reason it helps to have the complete records and an independent review before deciding who is involved.

Because UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center is operated by the University of California, it is a public entity. Claims against public entities follow special rules, including a short written claim period that comes before any lawsuit. These rules are explained below, and they are a reason not to wait.

How an independent expert review of a delivery works

A review starts with the medical records. The reviewer, usually an attorney working with physician experts such as an obstetrician, a neonatologist and a pediatric neurologist, reads the prenatal chart, the labor and delivery notes, and the baby's NICU records. Independent experts look at whether the care met accepted medical standards and whether any departure actually caused the injury.

Several records matter most. The fetal heart monitoring strips show the baby's heart rate during labor and how the team responded. The Apgar scores are quick measures of the baby's condition at one and five minutes after birth. Umbilical cord blood gas results give clues about the baby's oxygen and acid levels at birth. Brain imaging such as an MRI, together with NICU notes, helps show the type and timing of an injury. Experts compare these records with each other, and with the timeline of events.

A review does not mean a lawsuit. Many families ask for a review simply to get answers. If the experts do not find a link between the care and the injury, the family will know that too, and it can help to put questions to rest.

What to do now: step by step

First, take care of your child. Keep every appointment, follow the therapy plan, and ask for referrals to specialists such as a neurologist, physical therapist or occupational therapist. Keep a folder with discharge papers, bills, test results and the names of providers, and a simple journal of symptoms and dates. Do not post details of the delivery on social media.

Second, ask for the records. A parent can request the mother's and the baby's chart in writing, including the fetal monitoring strips, the NICU notes and imaging. Third, do not wait. California has strict deadlines, including the six-month claim for public hospitals and a separate time limit for the child, and the parents' own claims can run on a shorter clock. Speaking with a lawyer early costs nothing at Beverly Law and does not commit you to anything.

Fourth, ask for early intervention services. Even while the family is looking for answers, therapies can begin, and they do not depend on any legal claim.

Support for your child while the case is reviewed

Your child can start getting help right away. For babies and toddlers under 3, California's Early Start program provides evaluation and services through regional centers, and the CDC says families can contact their state's early intervention program without a doctor's referral. For Santa Monica, that is the Westside Regional Center. Therapies such as physical, occupational and speech therapy are often part of the plan.

Children with a serious diagnosis may also qualify for Medi-Cal, and California Children's Services (CCS) can cover care for certain medical conditions. Eligibility depends on your income and your child's diagnosis, so ask your pediatrician or the hospital social worker how to apply. We cannot promise any particular service or result, but these programs exist to help families, and using them does not hurt a possible legal claim.

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center is a public hospital: the six-month claim comes first

Because UCLA Santa Monica 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 UCLA Santa Monica 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 chart from this hospital, ask UCLA Health's Health Information Management Services, which handles records for UCLA Health. You can use the online request through myUCLAhealth (on a computer, not a phone) or complete and sign the Authorization for Release of Health Information, which UCLA Health offers in English and Spanish. The office says electronic signatures are not accepted. Send the signed form by email to roi@mednet.ucla.edu, by fax to (310) 983-1468, or by mail to UCLA Health, Health Information Management Services, 10833 Le Conte Ave., CHS, BH-902, Los Angeles, CA 90095. The phone is (310) 825-6021, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ask for the mother's labor and delivery chart, the baby's newborn and NICU records, the fetal heart monitoring strips and any imaging.

The hospital’s medical records page →

Where a case from Santa Monica would be filed

A birth-injury case from Santa Monica would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, in its civil unlimited division. The court's civil filing window is at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Where a case is finally assigned can change, so your lawyer will confirm the right courthouse and department at the time of filing.

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles – Stanley Mosk Courthouse → — 111 North Hill 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 3 who have a developmental delay or a condition that may cause one. The regional center that serves Santa Monica (ZIP codes 90401 to 90405) is Westside Regional Center, which you can reach at (310) 258-4000 or through its Apply for Services page at westsiderc.org. You can ask for an evaluation yourself, without a doctor's referral, and an evaluation to see if your child is eligible is free. Tell them your baby's age, what you have noticed and any diagnosis, and ask for an evaluation for Early Start.

Westside Regional Center →

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 UCLA Santa Monica 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.