Birth injury in Dallas: how to get records, who to notify and how long you have

We are sorry about what your family is facing. In Texas, a health care claim needs written notice at least 60 days before a suit is filed. If Parkland, a public hospital district, is involved, its liability is capped at $100,000 per person, and notice to a government is due within six months. Ask for the full chart first. Parkland's records office is at 5200 Harry Hines Blvd.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)

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Map of Dallas showing Harry Hines Boulevard, where Parkland Health's records office is
Parkland's liability is capped at $100,000 per person. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How do you get birth records from a Dallas hospital?

Ask in writing for the full chart, mother's and baby's, including labor monitoring and any NICU notes. Parkland's Release of Information office is at 5200 Harry Hines Blvd., first floor, Suite 01-603. Bring a photo ID. For Baylor Scott & White charts, the online request goes through HealthMark Group.

A Dallas hospital has 30 days to act on your request for the chart. Texas hospitals keep a child's records until the child's 20th birthday or for 10 years. Do not wait that long.

What makes a Parkland birth injury claim different?

Parkland is a government. It is the Dallas County Hospital District, run by a board the Commissioners Court appoints, and it is the main teaching hospital for UT Southwestern. UT Southwestern describes it as having about 14,000 deliveries a year.

Its financial statements say its liability under the Tort Claims Act is limited to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. Texas also waives immunity for government care only in certain situations, such as injury from the condition or use of tangible property.

Notice is the trap. A government needs written notice within six months. Being a minor does not pause that notice. Formal notice may be excused if the hospital actually knew, but do not count on it.

What are the deadlines for a Dallas birth injury claim?

StepRule
Written notice before suitAt least 60 days before filing, with a medical authorization form.
Extra time from noticeWith proper notice, the filing deadline stops for 75 days.
Expert reportDue 120 days after each defendant answers.
A child's claimUntil the 14th birthday for a child under 12, with an outer limit of 10 years.
A public hospitalWritten notice within six months.
A parent's own claimGenerally 2 years.
Pain and suffering caps$250,000 per claimant for all doctors, $500,000 for all hospitals.

An older cutoff was held unconstitutional as applied to a minor's own claim, so the dates are not simple. Do not wait for the later ones.

What does the obstetrical unit rule mean for a Dallas birth injury?

For emergency care in an obstetrical unit, a claimant must prove willful and wanton negligence. That is a higher bar than ordinary negligence. Whether the care was an emergency is a fact question, and the chart is where the answer starts.

What help is there for a Dallas child with a birth injury?

Texas Early Childhood Intervention serves children from birth to 36 months with developmental delays, disabilities or certain medical diagnoses. Call 877-787-8999, option 3, to find a program. A medical diagnosis or a confirmed delay is not needed to refer a child.

Children's Medical Center Dallas treats more than 300,000 children a year. Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, at 909 N. Washington Ave., is a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System; its phone is (214) 820-9300.

If a case settles, a court can order how a child's money is invested.

Can you file a complaint about a Dallas doctor?

Yes. The Texas Medical Board takes complaints about licensed physicians, and they must be in writing. A complaint is separate from a claim and does not stop any deadline.

Questions

Was my baby's injury preventable?

Only a review of the records by a qualified expert can say. A risk factor in your child's chart does not by itself mean cerebral palsy.

What is HIE?

It is a brain injury from reduced oxygen or blood flow, and outcomes range from no long-term effects to severe disability.

Can a community clinic claim be different?

Yes. Some clinics are covered by a federal program, and a federal claim must come first.

How long can I get my child's records?

Texas hospitals keep them until the 20th birthday or for 10 years.

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Sources (35)

  1. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.051, checked 2026-11-09. “at least 60 days before the filing of a suit”
  2. Parkland Health, 2024 Financial Statements, checked 2026-11-09. “Currently, Parkland’s liability is limited under the Act to monetary damages in a maximum amount of $100,000 for each person, $300,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death”
  3. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  4. Parkland Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “5200 Harry Hines Blvd, 1st floor, Suite 01-603”
  5. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.052, checked 2026-11-09. “Notice of a health care claim under Section 74.051 must be accompanied by a medical authorization in the form specified by this section.”
  6. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.051, checked 2026-11-09. “shall toll the applicable statute of limitations to and including a period of 75 days following the giving of the notice”
  7. Parkland Health, Board of Managers, checked 2026-11-09. “The Dallas County Hospital District, doing business as Parkland Health, is governed by an eleven-member Board of Managers appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court.”
  8. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.153, checked 2026-11-09. “in an obstetrical unit”
  9. Texas Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Intervention Services, checked 2026-11-09. “for families with children from birth to 36 months with developmental delays, disabilities or certain medical diagnoses that may impact development”
  10. Texas Health and Human Services, Make a Referral to ECI, checked 2026-11-09. “A medical diagnosis or a confirmed developmental delay is not needed to refer.”
  11. Baylor Scott & White, Request Copies of Your Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “we have partnered with HealthMark Group”
  12. 45 CFR 164.524, checked 2026-11-09. “no later than 30 days after receipt of the request”
  13. Texas Health & Safety Code 241.103, checked 2026-11-09. “on or after the date of the patient's 20th birthday or on or after the 10th anniversary of the date on which the patient was last treated”
  14. Parkland Health, About, checked 2026-11-09. “Parkland is the primary teaching hospital for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.”
  15. UT Southwestern, Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship, checked 2026-11-09. “a busy community hospital with approximately 14,000 deliveries annually”
  16. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.021, checked 2026-11-09. “personal injury and death so caused by a condition or use of tangible personal or real property”
  17. Martinez v. Val Verde County Hospital District (Tex. 2004), checked 2026-11-09. “The lower courts held that it is not,[2] and we agree.”
  18. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice”
  19. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.351, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than the 120th day after the date each defendant's original answer is filed”
  20. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.251, checked 2026-11-09. “minors under the age of 12 years shall have until their 14th birthday in which to file”
  21. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.251, checked 2026-11-09. “all claims must be brought within 10 years or they are time barred”
  22. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  23. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.301, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $250,000 for each claimant, regardless of the number of defendant physicians”
  24. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.301, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $500,000 for each claimant”
  25. Texas 14th Court of Appeals, describing Weiner v. Wasson, checked 2026-11-09. “unconstitutional as applied to a minor”
  26. Texas Health and Human Services, ECI Program Search, checked 2026-11-09. “call the HHS Office of the Ombudsman at 877-787-8999, select a language, then select Option 3”
  27. UT Southwestern, Pediatric Residency Education Program, checked 2026-11-09. “treats more than 300,000 children annually”
  28. Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation, Dallas, checked 2026-11-09. “Our Dallas hospital is designated as a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System.”
  29. Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation, Dallas, checked 2026-11-09. “909 N Washington Ave Dallas, TX 75246 Tel:(214) 820-9300”
  30. Texas Property Code 142.001, checked 2026-11-09. “the court, on application and hearing, may provide by decree for the investment of funds accruing to the minor”
  31. Texas Medical Board, Complaints, checked 2026-11-09. “Complaints must be submitted in writing.”
  32. CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “having a risk factor does not mean that a child will have CP”
  33. NINDS, checked 2026-11-09. “an umbrella term for a brain injury that happens before, during, or shortly after birth when oxygen or blood flow to the brain is reduced or stopped”
  34. NINDS, checked 2026-11-09. “While some children who experience HIE at birth may not have any long-term consequences, others can experience mild to severe disabilities or even death.”
  35. HRSA, FTCA FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not file suit before presenting an administrative claim”

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