How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy will have profound consequences for the child and their family. Compensation can allow them to live a full and active life by providing access to treatment, equipment and support.

Medical negligence is often the reason for cerebral palsy. This could be due to the lack of prenatal care, issues during labor and birth or other events.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can enhance a child's abilities. Doctors diagnose CP through the child's movement, muscle tone and coordination. They might refer children to specialists such as neurologists, orthopedists for children and physiatrists to assist in managing symptoms and increase the quality of life.

Cerebral palsy affects everyone differently. It can be mild and have a minimal impact on the child's capabilities however, it can also be severe and cause impairments across every body part. The symptoms can include a Floppy head (floppy neck), muscles that are stiff and uncontrolled that is difficult to walk or has issues with speech or other functions. If cerebral palsy is only affecting one side of a child's body, it is known as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides of the body, then it is called diplegia. Severe CP can result in a locked-in (spastic) condition characterized by spasticity in muscles that restricts the person's movement and can lead to difficulties in speaking and eating.

Childbirth-related medical errors are an often-repeated reason for CP. Nurses, doctors, and midwives should be extra cautious when delivering babies because damage to the brain may result in serious consequences. If a medical mistake results in oxygen deprivation, or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the doctor could be held accountable for negligence. This includes negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section, or the failure to monitor and escalate a complex labor.

Symptoms

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

Cerebral Palsy symptoms are caused due to damage to the young brain, most often in early childhood or infants. A delay in reaching milestones, such as sitting up, crawling or walking is a common sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience difficulty swallowing and may require feeding tubes.

Several factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that leads to CP and other conditions, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis in the womb and high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor or birth is a leading cause of CP.

Based on the type of cerebral palsy, the symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Spastic saco cerebral palsy attorney palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most common form. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid choreoathetoid or choreoathetoid), is known as a slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, vimeo arms, and the body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which is characterized by a shakey movement) or paraplegic CP which affects the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

Although the symptoms of cerebral palsy may differ, most sufferers of the condition experience stiffness and loss in muscle control. They may also have issues with balance and coordination. The kind of problems they suffer from depend on the region of the brain that was injured as well as its severity.

Many people suffering from CP require specific physical therapy that assists them improve their muscle tone and mobility as well as stretch and exercise their muscles and joints. It can also relieve the discomfort and help prevent contractures. It could include exercises, braces with special features, or other treatments.

CP is defined by musculoskeletal problems that include patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis are also common. These disorders can lead to major mobility problems which can reduce the life expectancy of patients.

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

They can ease stiff or overactive muscles, reduce abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications are ingested by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful claim for cerebral palsy can result in compensation for your child's for special care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical effects that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as any expenses and losses that you've incurred. These might include loss of earnings as you had to take a break from work to take care of your child, home adaptations and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.

Depending on the severity of your child's injury the lawyer may recommend an expert in disability issues to draft 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 can help determine an accurate amount of compensation. It usually takes the form of a lump-sum as well as regular annual payments that can be adjusted to keep up with the rate of inflation.

You must be aware that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a huge sum. It's a way of acknowledging an unfairness that was caused by a medical professional did not fulfill their duty of care in pregnancy, labour, and the delivery.