Valley Presbyterian Hospital Birth Injury Lawyers

This page is for families who welcomed a baby at Valley Presbyterian Hospital, at 15107 Vanowen Street in Van Nuys, in Los Angeles County, and who are now worried about how the delivery went or about their child's health. Maybe your baby needed time in the NICU, is not reaching milestones, or has a weak arm or a diagnosis such as cerebral palsy, and you are asking whether it could be connected to the birth. Those are fair questions, and you deserve plain answers.

Valley Presbyterian Hospital is a private nonprofit hospital. Its labor and delivery unit is open today, and the hospital says more than 2,000 babies are born there each year. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), its newborn nursery cared for 1,693 babies that year, and it is licensed for 32 intensive-care newborn (NICU) beds, with 203 NICU discharges in 2024. Nothing on this page says that anything went wrong at this hospital. Most births here, as everywhere, go well.

What follows is general information: what birth injuries are, which signs to watch for, who can be involved in a claim, how an independent expert review works, and what you can do now, step by step. It is not medical or legal advice, and it does not predict what a review of your own child's records would find. Reading it does not commit you to anything.

Labor and delivery at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys

Valley Presbyterian Hospital's women's services pages describe a maternity program built around family birthing suites, where mother and baby stay together and a partner can sleep in the room. The hospital's page lists a labor and delivery room and a postpartum room, lactation support (including consultants who see patients after discharge), and a laborist program, which means an obstetrician is in the hospital around the clock. The hospital says more than 2,000 babies are born there each year.

For babies who are born ill or early, the hospital has a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The hospital describes its NICU as providing the highest level of care for newborns born ill or premature; its pages do not give a numbered level of care, so we do not state one here. According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), it is licensed for 32 intensive-care newborn beds, its newborn nursery cared for 1,693 babies in 2024, and the NICU had 203 discharges that year.

Valley Presbyterian is a private nonprofit hospital in the San Fernando Valley, serving Van Nuys and nearby communities in Los Angeles County. If you delivered here, you were cared for by a team that may have included nurses, obstetricians, a laborist, anesthesia providers, pediatricians and neonatal specialists. Knowing who was on that team, and how each person was employed, can matter later, and the medical record shows it.

Birth injuries families ask about after a difficult delivery

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is brain injury from reduced oxygen and blood flow around the time of birth. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) explains that HIE can lead to cerebral palsy, developmental delay, intellectual disability or epilepsy, and that the full extent of the damage may only become clear months or years later. Cooling treatment (therapeutic hypothermia) started soon after birth is one of the measures doctors use for some newborns with HIE. Not every baby with low oxygen at birth has lasting problems, and HIE is only one of several causes of newborn brain problems; infection, stroke, bleeding and genetic or metabolic conditions can also be responsible.

Cerebral palsy is a group of lifelong movement and posture disorders. The CDC says the main sign is a delay in motor milestones such as rolling over, sitting, standing or walking, and that it is often diagnosed in the first two years, sometimes later. Brachial plexus injuries, including Erb's palsy, affect the nerves that run from the neck to the arm. NINDS and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) describe a limp or weak arm held close to the body, and note that many mild cases improve with early therapy and follow-up while some cause lasting weakness. Shoulder dystocia, a large baby, and breech or instrument-assisted delivery are known risk factors.

Other conditions families ask about include bleeding in or around a newborn's brain, skull fractures, a broken collarbone (clavicle), and infections such as Group B strep (GBS), which can be serious in newborns. Mothers can also be injured, for example by postpartum hemorrhage or tears. Many of these happen even when everyone does everything right, and many are treatable. Whether any particular injury could have been avoided is a question only a careful review of the records, by qualified experts, can address.

Warning signs in the first days, weeks and months

In the first days, parents and nurses watch for trouble breathing, a weak or high-pitched cry, unusual limpness or stiffness, seizures (jerking, lip-smacking, staring spells), poor feeding, very low or very high temperature, and a baby who is hard to wake. A baby who needs breathing support, cooling treatment or NICU care right after birth is being watched closely for exactly these reasons. If you saw any of these and no one explained why, write down your questions.

In the weeks and months that follow, the signs are often about movement and development. The CDC lists, for babies under six months, a head that lags when the baby is picked up, a body that feels stiff or floppy, and legs that stiffen and cross or scissor when lifted. After six months, warning signs include not rolling over in either direction, difficulty bringing hands together or to the mouth, and reaching with only one hand while keeping the other fisted. A baby who does not move one arm, or holds it limp at the side, should be checked promptly.

Delays are not proof of a birth injury, and many children who are late with a milestone catch up. But the CDC encourages families to track milestones and talk with the pediatrician early, because early evaluation opens the door to therapy and services. If something feels wrong, trust that feeling and ask for an evaluation; you do not need to wait for the next routine visit.

Who may be responsible in a birth-injury claim

A birth involves many people, and a claim looks at each role separately. Depending on the facts, those who may be involved include labor and delivery nurses and other hospital staff, the obstetrician, a laborist or covering physician, a midwife, an anesthesiologist, pediatricians and neonatologists, and the hospital or medical group that employed or supervised them. Nothing here suggests that any of them did anything wrong in your case; it simply describes who may be reviewed.

One of the most common questions is whether the doctor worked for the hospital. Many physicians are not hospital employees. They may be independent doctors with privileges, or members of a separate medical group. Nurses and other staff are more often employed by the hospital itself. Who employed whom can affect who may answer a claim, so the records and billing statements are checked early.

Because a claim may involve more than one provider, and because California treats private hospitals, public hospitals and some health plans differently, it is safer to understand the structure of your own delivery before deciding anything. This is general information only, and every family's situation is different.

How an independent expert review of a delivery works

A review starts with the complete records: the prenatal chart, labor and delivery notes, orders, anesthesia record, the newborn's chart and the NICU notes. Among the most important items are the fetal heart monitoring strips, which show the baby's heart rate and the mother's contractions across labor; the Apgar scores at one and five minutes; and umbilical cord blood gases, which show how much acid had built up in the baby's blood at birth.

Qualified physicians who are not connected to the hospital then read those records. Depending on the injury, that may include an obstetrician, a nurse, a neonatologist, and a pediatric neurologist or radiologist who studies brain MRI. They look at what was known at each point, what was done, and whether the injury is consistent with the timing and cause alleged. Brain imaging and later developmental evaluations help show when and how an injury likely happened.

The result is an opinion about whether the care met accepted standards and whether it caused the harm. Sometimes the answer is that the injury was not preventable, and that is useful to know as well. Review takes time, and a thorough one usually requires the complete chart, so the first practical step is to get the records.

What to do now: steps for your family

Step 1: Get your records. Ask Valley Presbyterian's Health Information Management department for your own chart and your baby's chart, including the fetal monitoring strips, labor and delivery notes, newborn and NICU records, and any imaging. Step 2: Keep a simple timeline of what you remember, when symptoms began, who explained what, and every provider you have seen since. Keep bills, discharge papers and photos.

Step 3: Keep up with your child's care. Pediatric follow-up, specialist visits and therapy matter for your child no matter what else happens, and the records they create will be part of any review. Step 4: Ask about deadlines early. California sets strict deadlines for birth-injury claims, some much shorter than others, and a notice to providers is required before a lawsuit can be filed. The verified legal sections on this page explain the rules.

Step 5: Talk with a lawyer who handles birth injuries. A first conversation is a chance to ask questions and learn your options; it does not commit you to a lawsuit. You can speak with Beverly Law at no cost for a first conversation, and we will tell you plainly whether we think an expert review is worth pursuing.

Support for your child while the case is reviewed

Your child's care does not have to wait for any legal question to be answered. Depending on the diagnosis, helpful services can include physical, occupational and speech therapy, early-intervention programs, specialist clinics and equipment. Children's hospitals such as CHOP describe multidisciplinary teams for brachial plexus injuries, and early therapy is part of care for cerebral palsy.

For babies under three, California's Early Start program, which the Department of Developmental Services leads, offers evaluation and services through the regional center. Children with special health needs may also qualify for Medi-Cal and California Children's Services (CCS). Eligibility depends on your family's situation and your child's diagnosis, and no outcome is guaranteed, so ask your pediatrician and social worker which programs fit.

If your baby is still in or recently left the NICU, ask the hospital social worker or case manager about follow-up clinics, home equipment and Medi-Cal enrollment before you leave. They can often start these referrals sooner than a family can 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 Valley Presbyterian 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.

To get records from Valley Presbyterian Hospital, contact its Health Information Management department, Attn: Release of Information, 15107 Vanowen Street, Van Nuys, CA 91405. The hospital's records page says you can request records through its patient portal, by email through its Contact Us page, by mail, by fax, or by scheduling an appointment with a Release of Information specialist. Call 818-902-2939 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or fax 818-781-0429. You will need to sign the hospital's Authorization to Release Protected Health Information form, which is available in English and Spanish on that page; incomplete or unsigned requests cannot be processed, and a photo ID may be required. Say exactly what you want, and ask for the labor and delivery record, the fetal monitoring strips, the newborn and NICU chart, and any imaging. The hospital's page says the first 15 pages are free on a patient's first request and that requests are usually completed within 10 business days. For a baby's records, call the department to confirm what it needs from a parent or guardian.

The hospital’s medical records page →

Where a case from Van Nuys would be filed

A birth-injury lawsuit from a Van Nuys delivery would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Civil cases of this kind (unlimited civil, personal injury) are generally handled at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, main phone (213) 830-0800, according to the court's website. Which courthouse and department apply depends on the facts and the court's current assignment rules, so a lawyer confirms this before anything is filed.

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles – Stanley Mosk Courthouse → — 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

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

If your baby is under 3 and has a delay or a diagnosis, ask for an Early Start evaluation. Early Start is California's early-intervention program, led by the Department of Developmental Services, and every referral goes through the regional center that serves your home. The North Los Angeles County Regional Center (NLACRC) serves the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys; Van Nuys is in the San Fernando Valley, but confirm your ZIP code with them. Call (818) 778-1900, apply through the Early Start intake application on nlacrc.org, or email earlystartintake@nlacrc.org. A child may qualify with a significant developmental delay, a diagnosed condition, or high risk, and NLACRC says eligibility can take up to 45 days to determine. Your pediatrician or the NICU social worker can also send a referral.

North Los Angeles County Regional Center (NLACRC) →

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 Valley Presbyterian Hospital or Valley Presbyterian Hospital (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.