Wrongful Birth Lawyer in Chicago, Illinois
Last Updated on October 6, 2026 by Patrick A. Salvi II
Learning that a medical condition went undetected during pregnancy can leave you facing significant emotional distress and difficult questions about what should have happened. If your healthcare provider’s error or failure to communicate prevented you from receiving information that could have affected your decisions, you may have grounds to file a wrongful birth claim against the provider.
At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., we understand how deeply emotional these cases can be, and we believe you are entitled to clear information about your legal rights and options under Illinois law. Contact our office today to arrange a free initial consultation with a wrongful birth lawyer in Chicago who can help you determine whether pursuing an Illinois wrongful birth claim is the best decision for your family.
What Is a Wrongful Birth?
A wrongful birth claim may arise when a healthcare provider’s negligence deprives parents of the information they need to decide whether to conceive or continue a pregnancy. Illinois courts have recognized these types of legal claims when providers fail to diagnose or disclose a fetal condition and the parents can show that they would have avoided conception or ended their pregnancy if they had the facts.
Wrongful birth claims differ in key ways from birth injury claims. Rather than alleging that a medical provider caused the child’s condition, these claims focus on the parents’ loss of the ability to make informed choices because of negligent medical care. Wrongful birth cases can result from a variety of errors before conception or during pregnancy, including when medical professionals:
- Fail to recommend genetic counseling or carrier screening
- Misinterpret laboratory, ultrasound, or prenatal screening results
- Fail to order diagnostic testing after abnormal findings
- Provide inaccurate information about the risk of an inherited condition
- Fail to inform parents that testing identified a congenital disorder
- Delay a diagnosis until the parents no longer have meaningful reproductive options
An unfavorable outcome is not enough to establish negligence on its own. Instead, parents must be able to show that the provider acted below the accepted standard of care and failed to provide information that would have changed their decision.
What Damages Are Available in an Illinois Wrongful Birth Case?
You may have suffered significant financial and personal harm because of your healthcare provider’s negligence. An Illinois wrongful birth claim can help you recover compensation for losses tied to your healthcare provider’s negligence, potentially including:
- Extraordinary medical expenses related to your child’s condition
- Costs of therapy, medication, equipment, and specialized care
- Educational and developmental support expenses
- Lost income caused by your caregiving responsibilities
- Emotional distress
- Other reasonable costs associated with your child’s disability
How much compensation may be available depends on your child’s needs, your losses, and the quality and volume of the evidence connecting your family’s losses to your provider’s error.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Chicago Wrongful Birth Case?
Depending on who ordered, performed, reviewed, or communicated the relevant testing and medical findings, any healthcare provider whose negligence prevented you from receiving accurate information about a fetal or genetic condition may be liable for the harm you suffered. Potentially liable parties in Illinois wrongful birth cases may include:
- Obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine physicians
- Genetic counselors
- Radiologists who interpret prenatal imaging
- Ultrasound technicians
- Laboratories that process genetic or diagnostic tests
- Hospitals, clinics, and medical practices
- Nurses or other healthcare professionals involved in communicating results
When multiple errors contributed to the missed diagnosis or delayed disclosure, more than one provider may share responsibility. Your wrongful birth lawyer in Chicago from Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. can review the evidence and identify all potentially liable parties.
How to Prove a Wrongful Birth Case in Illinois
Proving an Illinois wrongful birth claim requires you to show that a healthcare provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care and, in doing so, prevented you from making an informed decision. You must also directly connect the provider’s conduct to the losses you experienced. Some of the types of evidence you may cite in your claim include:
- Prenatal and preconception medical records
- Genetic screening and diagnostic test results
- Ultrasound images and radiology reports
- Notes showing when the provider reviewed or communicated the results to you
- Consent forms and patient education materials
- Testimony from physicians, genetic counselors, or other medical professionals
- Records of your medical, therapy, educational, and caregiving expenses
- Evidence of your reproductive decisions and what you would have done with accurate information
Wrongful birth claims can be highly complex. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has relationships with expert medical witnesses who can explain the proper standard of care and show how the provider deviated from it.
An Illinois Wrongful Birth Lawyer Can Help You Recover Damages
If you are considering whether to pursue an Illinois wrongful birth lawsuit against a negligent healthcare provider, it is important to understand that you do not have to go through this process alone. An experienced wrongful birth lawyer in Chicago can help you understand your legal options and handle the details while you focus on your family. When you trust Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. with your claim, we can help by:
- Reviewing your medical records for possible errors
- Consulting qualified medical professionals about the applicable standard of care
- Identifying all potentially liable parties
- Gathering documentation of your medical care, therapy, education, and support costs, including estimated future expenses
- Filing the required claim paperwork within Illinois deadlines
- Handling discussions with healthcare providers, insurers, and defense attorneys
- Challenging attempts to minimize the provider’s responsibility or your family’s losses
- Presenting evidence during settlement negotiations or at trial
- Explaining each stage of the case so you can make informed decisions about how to proceed
Contact Our Chicago Wrongful Birth Lawyers
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has a successful track record of recovering maximum compensation for our clients for over 40 years. We have recovered more than $3.5 billion for our clients – and we are ready to put our experienced litigators and extensive resources to work on your wrongful birth case. Contact our office to get started with a free consultation and learn more about how our law firm can support your family in your pursuit of the justice and compensation you deserve.
