How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has an enormous impact on the life of the child and that of their family. Compensation can help them lead an active and fulfilling life by providing access to treatment equipment and support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. This could be caused by a lack of medical attention during pregnancy, difficulties during birth or other events.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however early diagnosis and treatment can enhance the abilities of a child. Doctors diagnose CP by observing the muscle tone of a child, movement and coordination. They might refer the child to specialists such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists and physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve quality of life.

Cerebral palsy affects everyone differently. It can be mild, having a minimal impact on a child's function, or severe enough to result in impairments throughout the body. Symptoms can include a floppy (floppy neck) head as well as stiff or uncontrolled muscles, difficulty walking, or having difficulty speaking and other functions. If cerebral palsy affects only the child's body, it is known as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, then it's called diplegia. A severe CP can result in a locked-in (spastic) condition characterized by spasticity in muscles that restricts an individual's movements and leads to issues with speech and eating.

Medical mistakes during childbirth are a leading cause of CP. Nurses, midwives, and doctors must be cautious when giving birth to a baby because damage to the brain could cause serious harm. A doctor could be held accountable for malpractice if a medical mistake results in cerebral palsy, or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section in a hurry or failing to supervise and escalate an arduous labor.

Symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, they will most likely show a variety of physical symptoms. These symptoms may include stiff or tight muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, as well as issues with posture and balance. Other problems include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and vision and hearing problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to an immature brain. This is usually the case during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in achieving milestones such as sitting up, crawling, or walking is a typical symptom of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding tube.

A variety of factors can trigger the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP, including infections like toxoplasmosis, rubella or cytomegalovirus in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. A serious lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during pregnancy or birth is a major cause for CP as is bleeding in the brain caused by blood vessels that are damaged or blocked.

The symptoms can be mild or extreme based on the type. The most prevalent type of cerebral palsy lawyer palsy is spastic cerebral palsy law firm palsy. It is characterised by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as athetoid or choreoathetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow movement of the legs, arms and body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which has a shaky, jerky movement) or paraplegic CP in which the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

The specific symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary, a majority of sufferers have to manage stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have issues with balance and coordination. The type of problem that they suffer from is dependent on the brain region that was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy that allows them improve their mobility and muscle tone and stretch and work their joints and muscles. It can also relieve pain and prevent contractures. Exercises, braces or other treatments might be included.

CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues like patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis are also common. These conditions can cause significant mobility issues which can reduce the life expectancy of patients.

Other treatments include speech and language therapies for cerebral palsy children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children learn new ways of communicating and could include communication board or voice synthesizers.

The use of medications can relax stiff or overactive muscles, reduce abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. The medications are administered by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim could result in compensation for your child's for specialist care, equipment and treatment. This will be based on the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as any losses and expenses you've incurred. This could include the loss of earnings due to having to take a break from work to care for your child, house modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability according to the severity of the injuries to your child. The specialist will create an "life care plan" that details their needs from the moment they are diagnosed until they turn adults. This will allow you to calculate a more accurate amount of compensation. This usually is lump sums and regular annual payments that can be adjusted to keep up with inflation.

You must be aware that compensation from a successful legal action isn't a gimmick. It's a recognition of the fact that injustice has occurred, all because medical professionals did not fulfill their duty of providing care during labor, pregnancy and the birth.