How this service works, in plain words.

Who operates this site

Birth Injury Payout is an independent educational publisher. It is operated by the same small team that publishes other plain-language legal education sites for people navigating difficult situations. It is not a law firm, it is not owned by a law firm, and no law firm, hospital or insurer writes, edits or approves anything on it.

What it is for

To help parents understand birth-related medical conditions, understand what a diagnosis does and does not mean, know which records matter, and, when and only when a family wants it, find a qualified attorney for a free consultation. Most visitors will never contact us, and the site is built to be fully useful to them.

Is this medical advice?

No. Our guides explain conditions in general terms from primary sources such as the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics. They cannot tell you about your child. Your child's doctors can.

Is this legal advice?

No. We explain how medical negligence claims generally work and why rules differ by state. We do not evaluate your situation, we do not tell you whether you have a claim, and no automated tool on this site ever will. Only a licensed attorney who has reviewed your records can do that.

Does a birth injury mean someone was negligent?

No. This is the most important sentence on the site. Many birth-related conditions, including cerebral palsy and neonatal encephalopathy, have more than one possible cause, and clinical bodies call for a broad review of everything that may have contributed before a cause is named. A difficult birth or a serious diagnosis is not, by itself, evidence that care fell below the accepted standard.

What happens if you ask for legal help

At the moment, nothing, because the attorney-connection service is not yet active and there is no form on the site. When it is active, this is the process, and this page will be updated to say so:

1. You fill in a short form asking only for what is needed to respond: your name, how to reach you, the state where the birth took place and what would help most. We do not ask for medical records, your child's full medical history or any identification numbers.
2. You give explicit consent, in a box that is never pre-ticked, to be contacted and, if you confirm, to have the form shared with one participating attorney licensed in your state.
3. A member of our team confirms the request with you by the method you chose.
4. Only then is your form sent to one attorney, never to several, never to a list. The attorney offers a free consultation. You decide. "No thank you" is always acceptable.
5. If no participating attorney covers your state, we tell you plainly and point you to official resources instead. We do not forward your information anywhere else.

How participating attorneys are chosen

Before any attorney receives an introduction, we verify an active bar license in the relevant state, confirm that birth injury or medical malpractice matters are a genuine part of their practice, confirm the firm's identity and contact details, and agree in writing how they will handle and protect your information. We do not rank attorneys and we do not describe any attorney as "the best". We will not activate the service in a state until this is done for that state.

Who pays, and for what

Participating attorneys pay Birth Injury Payout a flat fee for introductions. That fee is for advertising and introduction only. We never take a share of any legal fee or of anything a family recovers, and your agreement, if you choose to hire an attorney, is directly with that attorney under your state's rules. Families never pay us. Because money changes hands for an introduction, some privacy laws treat it as a sale or sharing of personal information, and we say so plainly in our privacy policy.

What information may be shared, and with whom

Only the information on the form, only with the single attorney matched to your request, and only after you have confirmed. Nothing you read on this site is tracked to you personally, and the site does not run advertising pixels. The privacy policy lists exactly what is collected and what is not.

Does sending a form create an attorney-client relationship?

No. An attorney-client relationship is created only when you and an attorney agree to it, usually in writing. Sending a form to us creates nothing of the kind.

Do attorneys influence what we publish?

No. Participating attorneys do not write, edit, review or approve educational content, and they are not told what you read. Attorney reviewers who check our legal guides for accuracy are named only once their credentials are verified, and are credited as reviewers, not as sponsors.

How to raise a concern

Email [email protected]. Concerns about accuracy go to the editorial team and are handled under our corrections policy. Concerns about how your information was handled are treated as privacy requests and answered without charge, whatever state you live in.