How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have a profound impact on the life of the child and the lives of their family. Compensation can allow them to live a full and fulfilling life, with access to equipment, care and support.

Medical negligence is often the cause of cerebral palsy. This can be caused by the lack of prenatal care, problems during labour and delivery or other occurrences.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however early diagnosis and treatment can improve the child's capabilities. Doctors determine CP through the child's movements, muscle tone and coordination. They can refer children to specialists such as neurologists, orthopedists for children and physiatrists who will assist in managing symptoms and increase the quality of life for children.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be moderate and have only a slight impact on a child's abilities however, Cerebral palsy Attorneys it can also be severe and cause impairments across all body parts. The signs can include a head that is floppy (floppy neck), muscles that are stiff and uncontrolled as well as difficulty walking or having issues with speech or other functions. If cerebral palsy Attorneys palsy affects only the child's body, it is referred to as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, it is known as diplegia. A severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity, which restricts a person's movements and leads to issues with speech and eating.

Birth-related medical errors are the leading cause of CP. Midwives, doctors and nurses must be careful when delivering babies because brain damage can result in serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation, or other brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy, the doctor could be held accountable for negligence. This could include negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section, or failing to monitor and escalate a complex labor.

Symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, he or she will likely have a combination of physical symptoms. The symptoms can include stiff or tight muscles or joints, a limp, uncontrolled movements, and issues with posture and balance. Other issues include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and vision and hearing problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain of an infant. This occurs most often in the infant or early years of childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking is a typical symptom of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding device.

A variety of factors can trigger the development of a brain injury that triggers CP, including infections like toxoplasmosis, rubella or cytomegalovirus in the womb and high blood pressure in pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor or birth is the leading cause of CP.

Based on the kind of cerebral palsy, the symptoms may vary from mild to severe. The most common kind of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral paralysis, which is characterised by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral Palsy (also known as athetoid choreoathetoid or choreoathetoid), is defined by uncontrolled and slow writhing of the legs, arms, and the body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral palsy (which has a shaky, jerky movement) or paraplegic CP, where the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

Although cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy symptoms vary, the majority of patients with the condition experience stiffness and loss in muscle control. They may also experience issues with balance and coordination. The type of problems they suffer from depend on the area of the brain that was injured as well as its severity.

Many people with CP require special physical therapy that can increase their mobility, muscle tone, and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also help relieve pain and prevent contracture. It may include exercises, special braces or other treatments.

CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues like hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis are also common. These can cause major issues in mobility, which decreases life expectancy.

Other treatments could include speech and language therapy for children who are unable to communicate effectively. It can help children develop new ways to communicate. This could include sign language, a communication board or voice synthesizers.

These medicines are used to limit abnormal movements, decrease seizures, and ease pain. These medicines can be taken orally or injected directly into the affected muscles, or the fluid surrounding your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful claim for cerebral palsy could result in compensation for your child to pay for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. This will be based on the physical and psychological impact that your child's condition has caused on them, in addition to the costs and losses that you've incurred. This could include losing earnings due to having stop work to care for your child, home adaptions and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.

Based on the degree of the injury to your child the lawyer might recommend hiring a specialist in disability care to write a "life care plan' that clearly lists all the needs of your child starting from the date of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will help you determine the most accurate amount of compensation. It usually takes the form of a lump-sum and regular annual payments, which could be indexed to keep pace with inflation.

It is important to be aware that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a huge sum. It's a way of acknowledging an the injustice that occurred due to the fact that medical professionals failed to perform their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and the delivery.