How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

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

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. This could be due to the lack of care during pregnancy, or problems during birth, or other occurrences.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can improve a child’s abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the child's muscle tone and coordination, as well as movement. They can refer a child to specialists like pediatric orthopedists, neurologists and physiatrists who can aid in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Every person is affected by cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be mild, with a minimal effect on a child's function, or it can be extremely severe and cause impairments throughout the body. It can be characterized by a floppy (floppy neck) head and stiff or uncontrolled muscles as well as difficulty walking or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's called hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's diplegia. In severe cases, CP can cause a locked in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity. This can limit the person's mobility and create difficulties with speech and eating.

Birth-related medical errors are one of the main causes of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies because damage to the brain could result in serious consequences. If a medical error causes oxygen deprivation or other brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy, the doctor could be held responsible for negligence. This is the case when scheduling or performing a C section urgently or failing to supervise and escalate the intensity of labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, they'll most likely exhibit a variety of physical signs. These symptoms may include tight or stiff muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, and issues with posture and balance. Other issues could include intellectual disability, speech delays and hearing and vision issues.

cerebral palsy attorney Palsy symptoms are caused by damage to the immature brain, most often in infancy or cerebral palsy early childhood. A delay in milestones like rolling over, sitting, crawling, Cerebral palsy or walking can be a sign of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have trouble swallowing, and may need a feeding device.

Numerous factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that leads to CP and other conditions, such as rubella, toxoplasmosis or cytomegalovirus in the womb and high blood pressure in pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. A massive lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is the main cause of CP as is bleeding in the brain from damaged or blocked blood vessels.

The symptoms can range from mild to extreme based on the type. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most frequent type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) is characterized by slow, uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms and body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral palsy (which has a shaky movement) or paraplegic CP, where the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

Although glendale cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy symptoms differ, most patients with the condition experience stiffness and decrease in muscle control. They may also experience issues with coordination and balance. The type of movement problem that they experience is based on the area of the brain that was injured and the degree of the injury.

Many people with CP need special physical therapy to increase their mobility, muscle tone and stretch their joints and muscles. It also helps relieve pain and prevent contractures. It may include exercises, braces that are specially designed, or other treatments.

Musculoskeletal issues like hip dysplasia, patella alta, cervical stenosis, and scoliosis are common in CP. These can cause significant issues in mobility, which decreases life expectancy.

Speech and language therapy can be used to aid children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children discover new ways to communicate and could include communication board, or voice synthesizers.

The use of medications can ease stiff or overactive muscles, reduce abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medicines can be taken by mouth or directly into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful claim for cerebral palsy could result in compensation for your child to pay for special care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has had on them, as well as any losses and expenses you've incurred. This could include loss of earnings due to you having to quit work to take care of your children, house modifications and transportation costs.

Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability, depending on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will create a "life care plan" that outlines their needs from the time of diagnosis until they become adults. This will allow you to calculate the most accurate compensation amount. This usually takes the form of a lump-sum and recurring annual payments which may be indexed to keep up with inflation.

You must be aware that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a gimmick. It's a way of acknowledging an injustice that occurred because medical professionals did not meet their duty of care in labour, pregnancy and delivery.