Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore (KDLM) is a New York City firm. Partners Pani N. Vo and John D. Cagney are admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. Published results include a $78 million trucking verdict and a $13 million verdict for a New Jersey woman injured at a New York hospital. Call (212) 618-6800.
Why would a New Jersey family call a New York medical malpractice firm?
Care and crashes do not always stay on one side of the Hudson. A New Jersey resident may have been treated in a New York hospital. A New York provider may have followed a patient who lives in New Jersey. A highway collision may involve New Jersey families and out-of-state defendants. Forum, choice of law, and which court can hear the case depend on the facts. The first step is a conversation about where the events happened, where the defendants can be sued, and which deadlines apply.
What published KDLM results involve New Jersey families?
KDLM’s homepage, checked on 10 November 2026, lists a $78 million verdict secured by Thomas Moore “for Family of New Jersey Father and Son Killed by Canadian Trucking Company’s Vehicle.” The firm’s failure-to-diagnose page describes a $13 million verdict obtained by Judith Livingston “on behalf of the family of a 43-year-old New Jersey woman who underwent a procedure to remove a benign colon polyp at NYU Langone Medical Center,” after which her bowel was injured. Those are published results about New Jersey families. They do not predict the outcome of another case, and the second matter was litigated in connection with care at a New York hospital.
Who at KDLM is admitted to practice in New Jersey?
Partners Pani N. Vo and John D. Cagney are admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. That is how their KDLM biographies describe their bar admissions. The firm’s office is in New York City. This article does not claim a New Jersey office, and it does not say that every lawyer at the firm is admitted in New Jersey.
Where a case is filed still depends on the facts, especially where the care took place. If you are a New Jersey family, or if the delivery happened in New Jersey, call (212) 618-6800 to talk through the next step.
What should you have ready when you call?
- Where the care or collision took place (city and state), and where each patient or family member lives.
- The names of the hospitals, physicians, or companies involved.
- Approximate dates of the events and of any claim or notice already filed.
- Any court papers or insurance correspondence already received.
New York and New Jersey have different statutes of limitations, notice rules, and damage frameworks. Public hospitals and public entities can impose shorter notice deadlines in either state. Call (212) 618-6800 rather than relying on a general comparison. Related KDLM pages include medical malpractice and birth injuries.
What should families know before they look for a New Jersey birth injury lawyer?
Families searching for a New Jersey birth injury lawyer, or a birth injury attorney, usually need to know where the labor and delivery took place and where the injury occurred. Types of birth injuries that may lead to a birth injury claim or birth injury lawsuit include brain injury, hypoxic injury, and brachial plexus injuries. Whether a medical malpractice claim exists depends on the standard of care and on New Jersey law or New York law, depending on the facts. Two KDLM partners are admitted in New Jersey as well as New York, but where a case belongs still turns on those facts.
If a family wants to file a birth injury case, a New York firm such as KDLM can review the records, explain where a case might be brought, and discuss whether local counsel would be required. Pain and suffering and other damages questions are jurisdiction-specific. Call (212) 618-6800 to talk through the location of the care and the next step.
For a free consultation about a possible New Jersey or cross-border medical malpractice or birth injury matter, call (212) 618-6800 or contact Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore at 217 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007. For qualifying matters, there is no fee unless we win. This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
What are common types of birth injuries in New Jersey and New York matters?
Families comparing birth injuries in New Jersey with New York cases often start with the medical picture. The conditions below come up often in labor-and-delivery reviews. A birth defect present before labor is a different concept from a labor-and-delivery injury, though the two can be disputed in the same chart.
| Condition | What may cause it | Signs families often ask about |
|---|---|---|
| Hypoxic-ischemic injury (reduced oxygen or blood flow to the brain) | A period of reduced oxygen or blood flow during labor, delivery, or immediately after birth. Many events can cause that period; it is not automatically malpractice. | Need for resuscitation, seizures in the newborn period, a very low Apgar score, or later developmental concerns. Only the medical record can place these signs in context. |
| Some forms of cerebral palsy linked to oxygen deprivation | In some children, cerebral palsy is later tied to a brain injury around birth. Many cases have other or mixed causes, and the diagnosis itself does not prove negligence. | Delayed motor milestones, unusual muscle tone, or an uneven pattern of movement as the child grows. |
| Brachial plexus injuries, including Erb’s palsy | Stretch or compression of the nerves that supply the arm, sometimes during a difficult shoulder delivery. Trauma in the birth canal can also be involved. | A limp or weak arm, limited shoulder or hand movement, or a noticeable difference between the two arms after delivery. |
| Skull or clavicle fractures and other mechanical trauma | Mechanical stress during a difficult delivery, or the use of delivery instruments, in some cases. | Swelling, bruising, limited movement, or a finding on a newborn x-ray or exam. |
| Severe untreated jaundice that injures the brain (kernicterus, uncommon) | Bilirubin rising to dangerous levels when severe jaundice is not recognized or treated in time. | Marked yellowing, lethargy, poor feeding, or later movement or hearing problems. Jaundice is common; this complication is not. |
These birth injuries may be mild or may require lifelong care. A serious injury can include lasting nerve damage or a brain injury. Listing a condition here does not mean any particular child’s injury was caused by malpractice. That is a medical and legal question.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. The CDC also notes that people used to think CP was mainly caused by lack of oxygen during birth, and that scientists now think this causes only a small number of CP cases. That is one reason a diagnosis, by itself, does not answer the legal question.
If labor and delivery took place at a New Jersey hospital, the records, notice rules, and filing path may follow New Jersey process. If the delivery was at a New York hospital, New York rules may apply even when the family lives in New Jersey. Public hospitals and public entities can have shorter notice deadlines in either state. This article does not name a particular New Jersey hospital or set out a filing rule for every case.
What should you do after a birth injury is suspected?
When birth injuries are suspected, medical care comes first. The steps below help families preserve the facts without assuming that a legal claim exists.
- Seek or continue appropriate medical care for the child, and for the mother if she was injured.
- Ask the hospital’s medical records department for a complete copy of the labor, delivery, and neonatal chart, including fetal-monitoring strips and imaging.
- Write down a timeline while events are fresh: the hospital name and whether it is in New Jersey or New York, the clinicians involved, and when symptoms were first noticed.
- Keep discharge papers, later specialist or therapy records, and any written explanation the hospital already provided.
- Do not treat a conversation with the hospital as the last word on what happened, and be careful about signing documents you have not had reviewed.
- Call (212) 618-6800 so deadlines, the location of the care, and licensing can be reviewed before time runs short.
Can you sue for birth trauma, and who may be liable?
Some birth trauma is not preventable. Other preventable injuries can lead to birth-injury claims when families ask whether a hospital, obstetrician, midwife, or nurse departed from the standard of care. Birth injury malpractice claims, like other injury lawsuits, depend on proof of negligence and causation. It is not easy to sue a labor-and-delivery hospital; these are expert-driven cases, and the location of the care often decides which state’s law applies.
This article does not describe the firm as a New Jersey office, and it does not describe any KDLM lawyer as a certified civil trial attorney. That certification is a New Jersey designation some New Jersey lawyers hold. KDLM does not claim it.
How long do I have to file a birth injury lawsuit in New Jersey?
The statute of limitations for birth injury and other medical-malpractice claims is state-specific. Many New Jersey personal-injury and malpractice actions are subject to a two-year period, and rules for minors, discovery, and repose can change the calculation. A lawsuit in New Jersey should be evaluated by counsel licensed there. If the care occurred in New York, New York deadlines—including rules that can apply to children—may control instead.
This page is not a statement of the limitations for birth injury claims in any one family. Deadlines can be short. Call (212) 618-6800 so the dates can be reviewed, and so any need for New Jersey-licensed counsel can be discussed early.
What evidence do I need for a New Jersey birth injury case?
Files involving birth injuries usually require prenatal records, fetal-monitoring strips, delivery notes, neonatal records, and later pediatric or therapy records. Families affected by birth injuries should also keep a timeline of what they were told during labor and after. An experienced birth injury review, whether by a New York medical malpractice lawyer looking at a New York delivery or by a New Jersey birth injury attorney for a New Jersey filing, starts with those records.
What compensation can families recover in a birth injury case?
If a birth injury lawsuit succeeds, damages may include medical care, future therapy, and other losses tied to serious injuries. Families often ask how much a settlement is. There is no standard figure, and this article does not quote one. Outcomes depend on liability, the child’s needs, insurance, and the forum.
How can a birth injury lawyer help, and what about legal fees?
A birth injury lawyer can help a family understand where a case should be brought, what records matter, and whether local counsel is required. A lawyer can help with deadlines and expert review. An attorney can help explain fee terms before any agreement is signed.
Fee arrangements for malpractice lawyers and personal injury counsel vary, and New Jersey has its own rules for some contingency matters. A malpractice attorney reviewing the chart will usually start with the hospital records and with the lawyer’s admissions in the state where the case may be filed. This article does not state a standard New Jersey fee percentage. KDLM can explain its own terms on qualifying New York matters and can discuss next steps if a New Jersey filing appears necessary. Call (212) 618-6800.
How can I tell whether a birth injury was caused by medical negligence?
Families affected by birth injuries often ask whether a poor outcome means someone was negligent. The answer depends on the records. Counsel and qualified experts look for whether monitoring was timely, whether a cesarean or operative delivery should have been considered sooner, and whether resuscitation or later care met accepted standards. Some birth injuries occur without a departure from the standard of care. Others do not.
A New York firm reviewing a cross-border intake, or a New Jersey birth injury lawyer if the case must be filed there, will usually want the complete obstetric and neonatal chart before offering an opinion. This is also the practical starting point for families affected by birth injuries who are still gathering facts.
Frequently asked questions about birth injury and cross-border intake
Which KDLM lawyers are admitted to practice in New Jersey?
Partners Pani N. Vo and John D. Cagney are admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. That is how their firm biographies describe their admissions. This article does not say that every KDLM lawyer is admitted in New Jersey, and it does not claim a New Jersey office. Call (212) 618-6800 to discuss your facts.
Has KDLM handled cases involving New Jersey families?
Yes. Published results include a $78 million verdict for the family of a New Jersey father and son killed by a Canadian trucking company’s vehicle, and a $13 million verdict for the family of a New Jersey woman injured during a procedure at NYU Langone Medical Center. Past results do not predict a future outcome.
If the care happened in New York, does New Jersey residency bar a claim?
Not automatically. Forum and applicable law depend on where the care occurred, where the defendants can be sued, and other facts. A lawyer should review the location of the events before any deadline is assumed.
How do I contact KDLM about a New Jersey or cross-border matter?
Call (212) 618-6800 or contact Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore at 217 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007.
How much is a birth injury settlement?
There is no typical number. Settlements and verdicts depend on the injury, liability, insurance, and the court where the case is brought. This article does not quote a settlement figure and does not predict a result for any family.
Is it easy to sue a labor and delivery hospital?
No. Claims involving birth injuries require medical records, expert support, and a clear theory of negligence. The process is demanding, and the correct forum may be New York or New Jersey depending on where the care occurred.
What is the standard lawyer fee for injury settlement in NJ?
This article does not state a standard New Jersey fee. Contingency terms vary, and New Jersey has its own rules for some personal-injury and malpractice matters. KDLM can explain its fee terms and how a New York or New Jersey filing would be handled.
Do birth injuries fall under obstetrician malpractice?
They can, when the proof shows a departure from the obstetric standard of care. Other providers, or the hospital, may also be involved. Not all birth injuries are the result of obstetrician malpractice.
What should I do if I suspect my child suffered a birth injury?
Obtain appropriate medical care, request the complete labor and neonatal records, and write down a timeline while events are fresh. Then call (212) 618-6800 so a New York firm can review where the care occurred and what deadline and licensing issues may apply.
What if the delivery happened at a New Jersey hospital?
If labor and delivery took place at a New Jersey hospital, New Jersey process may apply to records, notice, and filing. Partners Pani N. Vo and John D. Cagney are admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. Where a case is filed still depends on the facts. Call (212) 618-6800 to talk through the hospital and the next step.
How is a birth injury different from a birth defect?
A birth injury is harm that occurs during labor, delivery, or shortly after birth. A birth defect is a condition present before labor. The two can be disputed in the same medical chart, and only a review of the records can sort them out in a particular case.
How do I get labor and delivery records after birth injuries are suspected?
Ask the hospital’s medical records department for a complete copy of the labor, delivery, and neonatal chart, including fetal-monitoring strips. If the birth was in New Jersey, start with that New Jersey hospital; if it was in New York, start with the New York hospital. Keep copies of every request.
Who may be responsible when birth injuries occur during labor and delivery?
Depending on the facts, a claim may involve the obstetrician, other delivery-room clinicians, or the hospital. Liability is not automatic. It depends on whether the care departed from accepted standards and whether that departure caused harm.
Sources
- Live homepage, 10 Nov 2026: $78 million verdict for family of New Jersey father and son killed by a Canadian trucking company’s vehicle
- Live failure-to-diagnose page, 10 Nov 2026: $13 million verdict, Judith Livingston, family of a 43-year-old New Jersey woman, NYU Langone Medical Center
- Live Matthew Gaier biography, 10 Nov 2026: Bar Admissions New York, 1987 (no New Jersey admission listed on the retrieved page)