How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy can have profound effects on the child and their family. Compensation can allow them to live a fuller life, with access to equipment, treatment and support.

Medical negligence is often the cause of cerebral palsy. This could be due to the lack of medical attention during pregnancy, issues during delivery or other incidents.

Causes

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

Everyone is affected by cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be mild and have little impact on a child's abilities however, it can also be severe and cause impairments to all areas of the body. The signs can include a head that is floppy (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff and uncontrolled that is difficult to walk or has issues with speech or other functions. If cerebral palsy attorney palsy affects only one side of a child's body, it is referred to as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, then it's called diplegia. Severe CP could result in locked in (spastic), condition with muscle spasticity. This could limit the person's mobility and result in difficulty speaking and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is a leading cause of CP. Midwives, doctors and nurses must be cautious when giving birth to babies as damage to the brain could cause serious harm. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation, or other brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy, the doctor may be held liable for negligence. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section urgently or vimeo not being able to monitor and Vimeo escalate the intensity of labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, they will likely exhibit a range of physical signs. These symptoms could include stiff or tight muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, and issues with posture and balance. Other issues can include speech delays, intellectual disabilities as well as hearing and vision issues.

Cerebral palsy symptoms are triggered due to damage to the young brain, most often in infancy or early childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as rolling over, 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 a feeding tube.

Numerous factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that causes CP, including infections like rubella, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the leading cause of CP.

Depending on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms can vary from mild to severe. The most common type of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy, which is manifested by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid choreoathetoid or choreoathetoid), is characterized by uncontrolled and slow writhing of the legs, arms and body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which is characterized by a shaky motion) or paraplegic CP in which 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 manage stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also experience issues with balance and coordination. The type of issues they suffer from depend on the area of the brain that was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people with CP require specialized physical therapy that helps them improve their muscle tone and mobility as well as stretch and exercise their muscles and joints. It can also ease the discomfort and prevent contractures. Braces, exercises or other treatments could be considered.

Musculoskeletal conditions like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are common in CP. These disorders can lead to significant mobility issues and reduce life expectancy.

Other treatments can include speech and language therapies for children who cannot communicate effectively. It can help children develop new ways of communicating and could include communication board, or voice synthesizers.

Medications can be used to relax overactive or stiff muscles, reduce abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications are ingested by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the fluid around the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful claim for cerebral palsy can result in compensation for your child's for specialist care, equipment 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 losses and expenses you've incurred. These might include loss of earnings due to having to leave work in order to take care of your child, house modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability dependent on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will create a "life care plan" that details their needs from the time of diagnosis until they turn adults. This can help calculate an accurate amount of compensation. This usually takes the form of a lump sum and annual installments, which can be index to keep pace with inflation.

It is important to be aware that the amount of compensation you receive from a legal case isn't a quick buck. It's an acknowledgement that injustice has occurred, and all due to medical professionals did not fulfill their obligation to care during pregnancy, labour and the birth.