Texas CentroMed malpractice claims often follow different rules than a typical case because CentroMed operates as a federally funded health center. If you believe a CentroMed healthcare provider caused or contributed to a birth injury, maternal harm, or another serious injury, your claim may fall under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
To schedule a free consultation, call 210-366-4949.
Is CentroMed Federally Funded? – Why It Changes Your Malpractice Claim
Yes, CentroMed, operated under the non-profit parent company, El Centro Del Barrio, is a federally qualified health center. This designation ties it to federal funding under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. Being federally funded means it changes the legal process for CentroMed malpractice lawsuits.
CentroMed healthcare providers are generally treated as federal employees for malpractice purposes. This means that the clinic and individual provider aren’t the defendant you name in a lawsuit; it’s the federal government.
A CentroMed medical malpractice lawsuit is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. It’s decided by a judge and doesn’t follow the Texas statute of limitations.
Many law firms that handle Texas cases will turn down CentroMed medical malpractice claims because these cases are handled under federal law. Our Texas FTCA lawyer team helps families with CentroMed lawsuits when other firms won’t.
Federal funding isn’t permanent. While the Bureau of Primary Health Care confirms FQHC providers can be deemed federal employees, this is renewed yearly, can lapse, and may not cover every medical professional working there.
So, in order to seek justice, you must first determine which system governs the case.
CentroMed Birth Injury Claims in Texas
CentroMed birth injury claims are the cases that turn on the federal question most often. When labor and delivery care at a El Centro Del Barrio facility falls below the accepted standard, this is a breach of duty, subject to legal action.
Our CentroMed malpractice attorneys handle birth injury claims across San Antonio, including cases against federally funded clinics and hospitals.
Common birth injuries linked to undiagnosed or unmanaged maternal conditions at El Centro Del Barrio health centers include:
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy: untreated preeclampsia, placental insufficiency, or unrecognized fetal distress resulting in conditions tied to birth asphyxia
- Stillbirth and intrauterine fetal demise: growth restriction, decreased fetal movement, or worsening maternal blood pressure wasn’t elevated
- Brachial plexus injuries from shoulder dystocia complications and infant brain injury tied to neonatal hypoglycemia: unmanaged gestational diabetes
- Skull fractures and intracranial bleeding: Ignoring gestational diabetes and clearing a mother for vaginal delivery or failing to treat preeclampsia or placental degradation leading to emergency delivery scenarios.
Birth injuries linked to screening and testing failures at El Centro Del Barrio facilities include:
- Kernicterus and hemolytic disease of the newborn: Failure to screen for Rh incompatibility or to administer Rh immune globulin.
- Congenital infection conditions: Missed or untreated infections can result in neonatal sepsis, meningitis, chorioamnionitis, hearing and vision loss, or developmental disability.
- Wrongful birth claims: Failure to offer, perform, or correctly interpret genetic screening and anatomy ultrasounds, which deprives parents of information about trisomy 21 or neural tube defects.
Injuries linked to growth and timing failures at El Centro Del Barrio care centers include:
- Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with resulting complications. Missed serial growth measurements can leave restricted growth undetected until harm has occurred.
- Prematurity-related injuries. Unrecognized cervical insufficiency, preterm labor, or infection can lead to early delivery with respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, or necrotizing enterocolitis.
Many cases, such as umbilical cord prolapse, can occur from all three, depending on what was missed.
A birth injury at CentroMed still runs through federal law. That’s where most families lose their rights: they assume a Texas child’s claim is protected for years, while the federal deadline is already running.
A birth injury tied to a federally funded clinic still runs through the FTCA. That is where families most often lose their rights: they assume a Texas child’s claim is protected for years, while the federal clock described below is already running against them.
CentroMed OB-GYN Malpractice, Maternal Injuries, & Maternal Death
While patients can receive prenatal and OB-GYN care at CentroMed clinics, they must deliver at partner hospitals. This is where many maternal cases break down: warning signs documented at clinics that don’t trigger referrals, transfers, or specialist follow-ups. The same pattern shows up after delivery. After being discharged, patients typically return to CentroMed for postpartum care. So, hemorrhage, retained tissue, and infection progressing to sepsis can be missed by whoever sees her next.
Common maternal complications tied to poor prenatal or postpartum care at Texas CentroMed clinics include:
- Preeclampsia progressing to eclampsia
- HELLP syndrome
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Retained placental tissue
- Puerperal sepsis
- Pulmonary embolism or DVT
- Uterine rupture
- Placental abruption
- Amniotic fluid embolism
- Gestational diabetes complications
- Cardiomyopathy or cardiac events
- Cesarean wound complications (dehiscence, infection, or hernia)
- Postpartum stroke
- Untreated postpartum depression or psychosis with lasting consequences
- Anemia from unaddressed blood loss
- Chronic pelvic floor injury
In Texas CentroMed medical malpractice cases, the context is crucial. The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee found that 80% of the state’s pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. The maternal mortality ratio in Texas climbed from 17 pre-pandemic to an estimated 29.3.
In order to file a maternal injury or death claim tied to negligent CentroMed prenatal care or postnatal care, you must determine whether the OB was clinic staff or hospital-based.
Other CentroMed Malpractice Claims We Handle
Our attorneys handle a range of CentroMed injury lawsuits. The primary care setting produces its own patterns: missed infections, medication errors involving dosage or dangerous interactions, and failure to refer patients to specialists or follow up.
If the healthcare provider was considered a federal employee at the time of care, the CentroMed claim proceeds under the FTCA. Our CentroMed malpractice attorneys handle these alongside the firm’s broader San Antonio medical malpractice practice.
How the FTCA Process Works for an El Centro Del Barrio Claim
| Feature | FTCA claim (CentroMed as a federal facility) | Standard Texas malpractice claim |
|---|---|---|
| Defendant | United States | Healthcare provider, physician, or facility |
| Where the case is filed | Federal district court | Texas state court |
| Required first step | Written administrative claim (SF-95) to the federal agency | 60-day pre-suit notice, then file the lawsuit |
| Deadline to start | 2 years to present the SF-95 | 2 years, with exceptions |
| Injured child’s deadline | Generally 2 years | The child’s 20th birthday |
The FTCA Timeline for CentroMed Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Stage one is administrative, not a lawsuit. A CentroMed medical malpractice claim starts with an administrative claim presented to the correct federal agency on Standard Form 95.
Before you file: put a number on the case. SF-95 must state a sum certain, meaning a specific dollar amount for the damages claimed. Under the federal administrative claim rules, families are held to this specific amount. This means you should NOT file a claim until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement and have your future care needs valued by a professional.
Within two years of accrual: the claim must be presented. If you miss this deadline, you cannot file a malpractice lawsuit against CentroMed. Parents have exactly two years to take legal action on behalf of the child under Federal law.
Six months after presentment: the agency decides. It can investigate, settle, or deny the claim during this time.
Stage two: the lawsuit. Patients can only file a malpractice lawsuit against CentroMed after receiving a written denial or after six months pass with no decision. The case goes to federal district court, names the United States as the defendant, and is decided by a judge.
| Stage | Action | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative claim | File SF-95 with the correct federal agency, stating a sum certain | Within 2 years of when the claim accrues |
| Agency review | Agency investigates and may settle or deny | Agency has 6 months to act |
| Lawsuit | File in federal district court after denial or 6 months of silence | 6 months from a mailed denial to file suit |
The Deadline That Ends Many Birth Injury Lawsuits Against El Centro Del Barrio in Texas
This is the warning that matters most on this page. Parents who discover their child’s condition may have been preventable often believe Texas law protects the claim until the child turns 20 years old. When the malpractice occurs at a federally funded clinic, like those operated by the El Centro Del Barrio entity, Texas law doesn’t apply.
28 U.S.C. § 2401(b) sets a two-year statute of limitations to file an administrative claim, and courts have repeatedly held that a child’s minority doesn’t extend it.
There is no way to recover a missed FTCA deadline. Identifying third-party liability is the only potential way to pursue justice.
What to Do If You Suspect Malpractice at a CentroMed Facility
If you suspect you were injured by malpractice at a Texas CentroMed health center:
- Request complete medical records
- Record dates, healthcare providers, and what occurred.
- Don’t sign any release or accept any settlement offer before consulting a Texas CentroMed malpractice lawyer.
- Save discharge papers, test results, and fetal-monitoring records.
- Contact a law firm that handles federal claims immediately.
Our CentroMed medical malpractice attorneys offer free consultations and work on a contingency-fee basis. There’s no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call 210-366-4949.
Areas We Serve: CentroMed Locations
We represent victims throughout the San Antonio metro and the surrounding counties. San Antonio CentroMed medical malpractice cases are heard in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, rather than in local state court.
Our reach extends well past the city line, including New Braunfels medical malpractice claims and cases from the smaller communities where clinic access is limited and patients travel for care.
The communities below are served areas, listed as location references only.
Call 210-366-4949 for a free case evaluation to see if we can help!
CentroMed San Antonio & Bexar County
Our San Antonio CentroMed malpractice lawyers handle lawsuits throughout the metro and beyond:
- Berto Guerra Jr. Clinic
- Palo Alto Clinic
- South Park Dental
- South Park Medical
- South Park Pharmacy
- Southside Medical
- Women’s Health Clinic
- City Center
- Sarah E. Davidson Clinic
- Noemi Galvan Eling Clinic
- Thousand Oaks Clinic
- SA Pediatrics Promesa Building
- SA Pediatrics Sorrento Plaza
- SA Pediatrics Southeast
- SA Pediatrics Southwest
- SA Pediatrics Stone Oak
CentroMed New Braunfels & Comal County
Our firm has an established presence in Comal County and handles New Braunfels birth injury and malpractice claims for families across the area. New Braunfels patients often receive obstetric and pediatric care locally, then deliver at a hospital elsewhere.
- CentroMed Family Medicine
- CentroMed Pediatrics at Rivercrest
CentroMed Converse, Somerset, & Schertz
Converse, Somerset, and Schertz families often have less local access to CentroMed attorneys. We take Converse birth injury cases, Somerset malpractice claims, and Schertz malpractice claims on the same terms.
- Family First Clinic
- Maria Castro Flores
- SA Pediatrics Tri-County Crossing Phase II
How We Build a CentroMed Claim in San Antonio & Surrounding Areas
Whether in San Antonio, New Braunfels, Converse, Somerset, or Schertz, we build CentroMed malpractice lawsuits from records. Attorney Beth Janicek is board-certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, with three decades of malpractice experience and a willingness to take federal claims that others decline.
We work on contingency. There is no fee unless we recover, and the initial review costs nothing.
Evidence we gather:
- Medical records
- Fetal-monitoring strips
- Nursing notes
- Imaging and lab results
- Expert medical review
- Billing records
Damages we pursue:
- Past and future medical care
- Lost wages and potential earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of household maintenance and childcare
- Loss of companionship
- Wrongful death and survival damages where applicable
If you believe your family was harmed, request a free case review or call 210-366-4949. The two-year federal deadline may already be running.
CentroMed Healthcare Liability FAQs
Is CentroMed a federally funded clinic?
Yes. CentroMed operates as a federally qualified health center, funded in part under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.
In general, this means its healthcare providers are deemed federal employees for malpractice purposes. Claims are routed through the federal system rather than Texas courts. Deemed status can change, so a CentroMed medical malpractice attorney should verify the specific date of treatment.
How long do I have to file a claim against CentroMed?
Patients generally have two years from the date the claim accrues to sue CentroMed. You must first file an administrative claim before pursuing a lawsuit.
The deadline starts when the injury and its probable cause are known. This can be later than the date of treatment. Missing this date typically bars a CentroMed lawsuit permanently, even for a baby or child.
Can I still sue CentroMed if my child was injured years ago?
Possibly, depending on the circumstances. Unlike Texas law, the FTCA’s two-year deadline isn’t generally tolled for minors.
A San Antonio pediatric malpractice lawyer can determine whether the case follows federal law or if there are contributing parties that can be held responsible under Texas law if the FTCA deadline has already passed.
Who do I sue in a CentroMed case?
You sue the United States in federal district court. When a clinic receives federal funding, the government is substituted as the defendant in place of the clinic and the individual healthcare provider. A judge decides the outcome, and cases proceed only after completing the administrative claim stage.
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