How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have a profound impact on the child's life and that of their family. Compensation can help them live a full life with access to medical equipment, care and assistance.

Many cases of pontiac Cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy stem from medical negligence. This could be due to the lack of medical attention during pregnancy, difficulties during the birth process or other incidents.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment may improve the capabilities of a child. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the muscle tone of a child and coordination. They may refer the child to specialists such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.

Every person is affected by cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be mild with minimal impact on a child's function, or severe enough to result in impairments throughout the body. Symptoms can include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head and muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled and walking difficulties, or having difficulty speaking and other functions. If a child only has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, this is known as hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's diplegia. In severe cases, CP can cause a locked-in (spastic), condition with muscle spasticity. This may limit a person's movement and make it difficult to speak and eating.

Medical mistakes in childbirth are a frequent cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses must be cautious when giving birth to a baby because damage to the brain may result in serious consequences. A physician may be held liable for mistakes made in the medical field if an error causes cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section urgently or failure to control and escalate a complicated labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or she will likely have various physical symptoms. These may include stiff or tight joints and limbs, a limp, erratic movement and issues with balance and posture. Other issues can include speech delays, intellectual disability and vision and hearing issues.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain's maturation. This is usually the case during the infancy years of childhood. The delay in milestones such as sitting, rolling over, walking, or crawling could be an indication of CP. Children with CP may also have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding device.

Many factors can contribute to the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP and other conditions, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis in the womb and high blood pressure in pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A serious lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during labor or delivery is a major cause of CP as is bleeding in the brain caused by damaged or blocked blood vessels.

The symptoms can range from mild to severe depending on the type. The most common form of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral paralysis, which is defined by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral Palsy (also called athetoid choreoathetoid or choreoathetoid) is characterised by a the uncontrolled writhing and swaying of the legs, arms and the body. Other types of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, which is characterized by an unstable motion or paraplegic cerebral aphasia that affects the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

The specific symptoms of cerebral palsy are different, the majority of people suffering from the condition are required to contend with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of problems they experience is dependent on the region of the brain which was injured and the degree of the injury.

Many people with CP require specific physical therapy that assists them improve their mobility and muscle tone as well as stretch and exercise their joints and muscles. It can also ease discomfort and more info prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments can be incorporated.

Musculoskeletal issues like hip dysplasia, patella alta, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These conditions can cause major mobility problems and reduce life expectancy.

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

These medications can be used to ease stiff or overactive muscles to reduce abnormal movement, reduce pain, and manage seizures. These drugs can be taken by mouth or directly into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.

Compensation

If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you will receive compensation to help you pay for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. This will be based on the physical and psychological impact that your child's condition has had on them, in addition to any costs or losses you've had to pay. This could include the loss of earnings because you have had stop work to care for your child, home adaptions and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Based on the severity of your child's injury, your lawyer may hire an expert in disability issues to write a "life care plan' that meticulously lists all the needs of your child from the time of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will allow you to calculate a more accurate amount of compensation. It typically is lump sums as well as regular annual payments that are indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.

You should be aware that the amount of compensation you receive from a legal claim isn't a windfall. It is a recognition that injustice has occurred, and all due to medical professionals failed to fulfill their duty of taking care during labour, pregnancy and the birth.