How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

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

Medical negligence is often the reason for cerebral palsy. It could be due to the lack of care during pregnancy, problems during birth or other events.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment can help improve the child's capabilities. Doctors determine CP in relation to the child's movements, cerebral palsy attorney muscle tone and coordination. They can refer the child to specialists such as neurologists, pediatric orthopedists and physiatrists who will help manage symptoms and improve life-quality.

Cerebral palsy affects everyone differently. It can be mild, with minimal impact on a child's ability to function, or it can be extremely severe and cause physical impairments throughout the body. It can be characterized by an oversized (floppy neck) head, stiff or uncontrolled muscles that are difficult to walk, or having trouble with speech and other functions. If a child is diagnosed with portsmouth cerebral palsy lawyer palsy on one side of the body, it's known as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's diplegia. Severe CP may lead to locked in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity. This can limit the person's mobility and cause difficulty with speech and eating.

Childbirth-related mistakes made by doctors are the most common cause of CP. Midwives, doctors, and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies as brain damage could cause serious harm. If a medical mistake results in oxygen deprivation, or other brain damage that causes cerebral palsy, the doctor may be held liable for malpractice. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or inability to control and escalate a complicated labor.

Signs and symptoms

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

cerebral palsy lawyer Palsy symptoms are caused by a degeneration of the brain, which is usually seen in the early years of childhood or in infants. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have trouble swallowing, and may need a feeding device.

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

Depending on the form of cerebral palsy, the symptoms may range from mild to severe. The most prevalent type of cerebral palsy attorney palsy is spastic cerebral palsy. It is characterised by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, cerebral palsy attorney or athetoid) involves slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP can include ataxic palsy, which has shakey movements or paraplegic cerebral palsy, in which legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy differ, the majority of sufferers have to cope with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have problems with coordination and balance. The kind of problems they suffer from depend on the part of the brain which was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy which helps them to improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and work their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. Braces, exercises, or other treatments can be incorporated.

Musculoskeletal disorders like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, and scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These can cause major issues in mobility, which can reduce the lifespan of a patient.

Other treatments may include speech and language therapies for children who cannot communicate effectively. This can help them to discover new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

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

Compensation

A successful claim for cerebral palsy could result in compensation for your child to pay for specialized care, equipment and treatment. The amount of compensation will be based upon the physical and mental effects of your child's condition, as well as on any expenses or losses that you might have incurred. These could include loss of income due to having stop work to take care of your child, home adaptions and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.

Your lawyer might hire an specialist in disability care, depending on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will create an "life care plan" that will outline their needs from the time of diagnosis until they are adults. This can help determine an exact compensation amount. It usually will be lump sums and regular annual payments that are adjusted to keep up with inflation.

It is important to understand that compensation for a successful legal claim is not a cash-flow opportunity. It is a recognition of unfairness that was caused by the medical professional failed to perform their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and birth.