Securing the Future for Injured Children and the Families Who Love Them
A catastrophic birth injury changes every part of a family’s life — from the way a child grows and learns to the financial stability of the entire household. When negligence in labor, delivery, or newborn care leads to permanent disability, families face staggering medical costs and emotional challenges that last a lifetime.
At Petrucelli & Petrucelli, we not only prove fault — we help families plan for the decades ahead. With nearly 50 years of experience, Vincent Petrucelli, Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Super Lawyers® honoree since 2007, ensures every case includes comprehensive life-care planning and economic recovery for the child’s future.
What Makes a Birth Injury “Catastrophic”
A catastrophic birth injury is one that permanently limits a child’s ability to function independently. These cases often involve profound neurological or orthopedic impairment.
Common Catastrophic Birth Injuries Include:
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) — from oxygen deprivation or trauma during delivery.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) — permanent brain injury from interrupted blood flow.
- Spinal Cord Damage — from excessive traction or improper use of delivery instruments.
- Brachial Plexus Injuries (Erb’s or Klumpke’s Palsy) — nerve injury causing lifelong paralysis.
- Severe Developmental Delay — from untreated infection, hypoglycemia, or jaundice (kernicterus).
- Seizure Disorders — linked to undiagnosed oxygen deprivation.
These injuries are preventable — and the law holds negligent medical providers fully accountable.
The Financial Reality of Catastrophic Injury
The cost of caring for a child with permanent disability can exceed millions of dollars over their lifetime.
Expenses include:
- Around-the-clock nursing or caregiving
- Adaptive equipment (wheelchairs, lifts, communication devices)
- Specialized housing modifications
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Medications, surgeries, and ongoing neurological care
- Educational and vocational support
- Transportation and accessible-vehicle costs
These are not “optional” expenses — they are the foundation of a dignified, functional life for the child.
How Petrucelli & Petrucelli Builds a Lifetime-Care Case
Vincent Petrucelli and his team assemble a network of experts to project and document every aspect of the child’s future needs.
1. Life-Care Planning
We partner with board-certified life-care planners who evaluate the child’s condition, medical requirements, and expected life span. The resulting plan provides a detailed financial roadmap covering medical, educational, and living expenses.
2. Economic Analysis
Our economists and actuaries convert the life-care plan into current and future-dollar values, accounting for inflation, investment growth, and projected wage losses for both child and caregivers.
3. Medical Collaboration
We consult with pediatric neurologists, rehabilitation specialists, and developmental therapists to document the full extent of functional limitations and necessary support.
4. Guardianship & Structured Settlements
Our firm assists families in establishing special-needs trusts, guardianships, and structured settlements to ensure lifelong financial security and compliance with Medicaid and public-benefit programs.
Through this process, every verdict or settlement is transformed into long-term protection — not just short-term compensation.
Why Experience Matters in Lifetime-Care Cases
Proving the cost of lifelong disability requires more than compassion — it demands precision.
Vincent Petrucelli’s decades of experience in birth-injury and catastrophic-damage litigation have made him a trusted authority in this highly technical area. As lead counsel in Ferdon v. Wisconsin Patients Compensation Fund, he helped strike down unconstitutional limits on recoverable damages, ensuring that families receive the full compensation they need to provide proper care.
From Marquette and Iron Mountain to Escanaba, Menominee, Houghton, and Green Bay, our clients rely on our combination of medical insight, legal skill, and humanity.
Our Mission: A Future with Dignity and Hope
Every child deserves a chance to live with comfort, access, and opportunity — even after a catastrophic injury. Our firm’s role is to make that possible. Through careful litigation, compassionate advocacy, and smart financial planning, we secure the stability families need to focus on love, growth, and healing. Contact Vincent Petrucelli today at (906) 265-6173 or vincent@truthfinders.com.
Petrucelli & Petrucelli — Fighting for Justice Across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin
