A Call for Answers in Oklahoma City
Every parent anticipates the “firsts”—first smile, first steps, first words. When those milestones are late to arrive—or missed altogether—it can feel like time slows down. For some families, what begins as worry turns into something heavier: an unfolding realization that their child’s development has been disrupted in a way that may trace back to their birth.
At Van Wey, Metzler & Williams, we represent families across Oklahoma City who are dealing with the lifelong consequences of birth injuries. We help uncover whether a child’s developmental delay stems from preventable trauma during delivery—and if so, we pursue accountability with the full force of the law.
Because every child deserves the chance to thrive. And every parent deserves the truth.
What Is a Developmental Delay?
A developmental delay means a child is not meeting expected milestones in one or more of the following areas:
Cognitive – thinking, learning, and problem-solving
Physical – crawling, walking, fine motor coordination
Communication – understanding and using language
Social and emotional – relating to others, expressing emotions
Adaptive – self-care tasks like feeding and dressing
These delays might be mild and temporary—or they might signal permanent impairment caused by early brain injury. The earlier they're identified and treated, the better a child’s chance for progress. But some delays are not just the luck of the draw—they are the result of medical errors that never should have occurred.
How Birth Injuries Contribute to Developmental Delays
One of the most common causes of developmental delays stemming from birth is hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)—a type of brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation during labor or delivery. HIE can affect nearly every aspect of a child’s neurological function, including how they move, think, and communicate.
Other contributors include:
Traumatic brain injury during delivery
Infections that go undetected or untreated during birth
Intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain)
Jaundice that escalates into kernicterus
These conditions often occur when healthcare professionals fail to monitor a baby’s vital signs, delay emergency interventions, or ignore obvious signs of distress. In many of the cases we’ve handled, the warning signs were there—yet the response was too little, too late.
The Oklahoma City Families We Fight For
We serve families whose children may never walk without assistance, speak with ease, or attend school without support. Many parents tell us they felt brushed aside when they asked hard questions after delivery. They were told their baby would “catch up,” only to later discover that critical minutes during labor set their child’s development on an entirely different path.
We don’t just believe those families deserve answers—we believe they deserve justice.
Diagnosing and Managing Delays
Children with developmental delays often undergo a battery of evaluations: neurodevelopmental assessments, MRIs, genetic testing, speech and language screening. Once delays are confirmed, early intervention services may begin—ranging from physical and occupational therapy to special education and behavioral support.
These services can be life-changing. They can also be financially and emotionally draining.
And if a birth injury is the reason behind the delay, families should not bear that burden alone. The law allows you to pursue compensation for lifelong medical costs, therapy, specialized equipment, and home adaptations. That’s where we come in.
What Sets Our Firm Apart
We don’t take every case. We focus exclusively on the most serious, life-altering birth injury and medical malpractice claims. That means we bring every ounce of our attention and resources to the families we do represent. We work with nationally respected medical experts and life care planners to build a case that reflects your child’s future needs—not just today’s diagnosis.
And while we’ve earned awards and national recognition for our work, what matters most to us is helping our clients reclaim their voice.
What to Do If You Suspect Something Was Missed
If your child is experiencing developmental delays and you believe something went wrong at birth, you are not alone—and you're not imagining things. Trust your instincts.
We encourage families to:
Keep records of missed milestones, therapies, and diagnoses
Request full medical records from labor and delivery, including fetal monitoring
Seek out pediatric neurologists for comprehensive assessments
Speak to a qualified birth injury attorney to review your options
We offer confidential consultations at no cost. We’ll tell you what we see, and what your rights may be. If we believe your child’s injury was preventable, we will fight with everything we’ve got to hold the system accountable.
Because Every Milestone Matters
A delay in development is more than just time lost—it’s a signal that something is standing in your child’s way. If that “something” is a birth injury caused by a provider’s negligence, we are here to make sure your story is heard and your child’s needs are never minimized.
If you live in Oklahoma City or the surrounding area and have questions about your child’s development, we invite you to reach out.
Let’s have an honest conversation about what happened—and what comes next.
